


Living A Lie

by Dhampir (Dhampire)



Series: Living [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Rape/Non-con Elements, Slow Burn, They finally made it, Yaoi, one day they'll get there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:19:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 26
Words: 113,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26184082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dhampire/pseuds/Dhampir
Summary: After Naruto's almost murdered, Sasuke decides to take him away from Konoha for three years... (Sasu-Naru)Originally from 2005
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Series: Living [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081160
Comments: 253
Kudos: 347
Collections: Foxy fox 🦊





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.

**Living a Lie**

Chapter One

Sasuke sighed as he started his normal walk from his house to the bridge where his team always met. He paused to relish in the smells, sounds and sights of autumn, breathing deep of the crisp cool air. He glanced over at the festival in the distance and let out another sigh, starting towards the bridge again. He hated the festivals Konoha threw, all it brought him was annoying girls and stupid presents, but this festival he hated all the more. This festival he was being forced to attend and he cursed Kakashi for doing this to him.

—Flashback—

_"I want you three to meet me here at nine two days from now. You have tomorrow off because I have some recon duty for the Hokage, but I expect to see you three here the day after." He announced, staring at Sasuke and Naruto in particular. He knew the prodigy had planned to train all day instead of attending the festival like everyone else was and he knew Naruto wanted to avoid any and all contact with people that day._

_"Whatever." Sasuke shrugged, his emotionless mask in place, but he was mad. He already knew why Kakashi was doing this. Their teamwork was wonderful, but their tolerance outside of missions was little to none._

_Naruto didn't even respond, instead he just stared out over the stream, lost in thought._

_"But Kakashi-sensei, there's no missions on that day!" Sakura said once Naruto didn't speak up, her plans of spending the day alone with Sasuke ruined._

_The silver haired jounin grinned through his mask, "Let's say I want to treat you three to a day of fun for doing so well lately."_

_Sasuke snorted, "How will going to a stupid festival be fun? I'd rather train."_

_His grin reached his eyes, "Ah, but if you want to learn from me and advance to the Jounin Exams, you'll be here Sasuke. Remember, you need me to nominate you. Oh, and meet me here tomorrow, I'll have something for you three to do…" With that, he disappeared, leaving the three of them alone on the bridge._

_Sakura immediately latched onto Sasuke's arm and smiled up at him, "Won't this be fun Sasuke-kun? We get to spend the whole day together!"_

_He tore his arm away from her, already at the end of his tolerance, and turned to leave. "No, it won't." He tensed, waiting for the normal 'you cold hearted bastard! How dare you treat Sakura-chan like that!', but it never came. Sasuke paused, covering his surprise and concern, and glanced over his shoulder at his blonde haired teammate. "Naruto?"_

_Blue eyes snapped to attention, "Huh?" He looked around, confused and then settled on Sasuke and Sakura. "Oh, ah…I-I'll see you guys tomorrow….bye." He said, hesitantly waving before running back to his apartment._

_Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the retreating blonde's distracted behavior and how he made sure to avoid people as much as possible. "What's wrong with dobe?" He muttered before turning away._

—End of Flashback—

Sasuke frowned; Naruto had been acting odd the last couple days. Oh, he was still loud, obnoxious and a dobe, but there was something different. He didn't pull pranks, he didn't rise to Sasuke's taunts and he even turned down ramen. Though what worried him the most was that Naruto didn't smile anymore, Naruto not smiling meant there was a major problem. Even Kakashi buried in his book noticed the subtle change in his nature. Amazing how everything that defined Naruto could change without anyone noticing for days. Sakura still hadn't noticed, though she did find his quiet behavior a blessing. He thought back and noticed that he never saw the blonde yesterday, not once and he had spent most of the day walking around the village looking for him, under Kakashi's orders of course. Kakashi had met him alone at the bridge yesterday before he left for his mission to tell him to find the blonde to train with. He couldn't understand how such a loud, obnoxious and downright annoying ninja could just disappear without a trace for the entire day. He would've continued his search had Sakura and Ino not spotted him and drag him off to spend the day with them.

Sasuke closed his eyes briefly as he leaned against the bridge as usual, images of the blonde flashing in his mind. He accepted that he worried about that idiot, he was the only person he worried about, and he even accepted that the blonde had a larger affect on his life that he'd like to admit, not that he'd ever voice either truth. He opened his eyes, silently wondering where the blonde headed boy was, and watched curiously as a lone boy walked past the bridge. He was certain he had never seen that shinobi before, though his head protector was tied to his right arm showing he was from the Leaf. Sasuke visibly startled when he recognized the blonde haired boy clad in black as Naruto, never had he seen him wear such dark colors or carry such an impending aura of sorrow around him. Only his bright blue eyes had given away his identity, no one had eyes like that except Naruto.

He hesitated only for a second before following him up to the Hokage Tower. He watched silently as Naruto slowly climbed up the side of the cliff without any of the difficulty he usually showed during their missions and training. Sasuke followed just as before and reached the top of the Fourth Hokage's head ten minutes after Naruto. From his skill and ease at climbing up here, Sasuke guessed Naruto came up here often. He silently approached him and was once again surprised when he spoke.

"It's peaceful up here, eh Sasuke?" Naruto said quietly, his hands casually wrapped around his knees and his eyes trained on the village below them, yet Sasuke thought he saw the blonde shiver even though the day was warm.

Sasuke was certain he had walked silently and had stayed out of sight, yet Naruto knew who it was almost immediately. "How'd you know it was me?" He asked, just as quietly.

"I recognized your chakra signature."

"What are you doing up here dobe? We're supposed to meet Kakashi-sensei and Sakura today." He said coldly, sitting down next to the blonde.

Naruto looked at him, suppressing another shiver, and smiled, "I am a dobe, aren't I?"

Sasuke was taken back by the genuine smile that was overshadowed by sorrow. "What's wrong?" He asked, keeping his eyes trained on the blonde. "You've been acting differently these past couple days."

Surprise registered in his eyes, "You…you noticed?"

"Of course I noticed! How could I not?" He snapped, he didn't know why he was so angry or hurt by Naruto's expression, but he suddenly found himself angry. Didn't Naruto know he was his friend? Of course he'd notice when his best friend began acting differently. "You don't smile anymore…." He said, his tone softer and gentler.

"I didn't think anyone would notice….or care."

Sasuke almost didn't hear the last part, it was whispered so quietly it was almost inaudible. Without thinking, he smacked him upside the head. "What do you mean no one would notice or care? You really are a dobe!"

That smile came again, but he didn't cry out or retort, he just smiled and looked back out over the village. "Yeah, that's me. The dobe, the idiot, the loudmouth of the village, the hated child who knows nothing about anything." _Demon_ , he added silently, casting his eyes downward. Sasuke froze again, taken back once more, and Naruto continued. "But you know what Sasuke? I'm getting tired of this. Do you know how much energy it takes to act so full of energy and happiness when all you feel is emptiness and loneliness? I use so much energy acting like I'm so full of energy that I go home every night and collapse on my bed, too tired to do anything except sleep."

"Naruto…."

But he cut him off, not wanting the pity or the insult he was afraid of receiving. "It's not that I don't appreciate you here Sasuke, but…why are you here?" He looked up at him once more, "I'm just a dobe, no one of any importance and no one who actually deserves kindness."

Sasuke lifted his hand to hit him again, but stopped when Naruto cringed, "What are you saying now? Of course you deserve kindness and what do you mean you're no one of importance? You're my teammate, that in itself is of importance to me!"

"To…you?" He whispered, surprised.

"Oi dobe, sometimes your really are a dobe. Yes, you're important to me!" He said gruffly, not wanting to admit it.

The next thing he knew, he was being tackled to the ground by a black and blonde blur and gripped in a tight hug. "No one's…" Naruto paused, tears trailing down his cheeks, "No one's ever said that to me before. Only Iruka-sensei has said he cares about me, but never that I was important to him."

Sasuke couldn't help but smile, but he quickly pushed Naruto off of him, "Dobe."

Naruto at first was hurt, but then he saw the mirth in Sasuke's eyes and soon scratched the back of his head, laughing like he used to. "Yup! That's me!" But once more, his smile was full of sorrow and Sasuke didn't know why.

"Naruto, what is bothering you?"

The blonde almost immediately sobered, once more looking over Konoha, sitting down at the ledge once more. "Why do you care?"

He sighed, "Didn't we just go over this?"

"But why do you care, Sasuke? I can't see how anyone could care about me…"

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because…" he looked away, burying his head in his knees, "I'm a monster, that's why."

Again, anger overcame him and clutched his hands in tights fists. "Who the hell said that to you? Is that why you've been acting like this Naruto? Because someone told you you're a monster?"

"…Kinda…"

"Dobe!" He growled, "The Naruto I know wouldn't let that faze him because it's not true. He wouldn't care what others thought of him or anything else."

"But that's the Naruto _you_ know." His voice quiet again. "Not me. I've been hiding, Sasuke, I've always been hiding. No one has ever seen me as you have now because I couldn't let _them_ see me like this, the real me, because I am a monster."

"So…everything has been an act?"

"Everything." He laughed, "Who'd ever believe that _I_ understand everything we talk about. That I have perfect chakra control, that I don't have any problem with the jutsus we've been taught and that I know more about the workings of this village than the Hokage herself. I'm not as stupid as I act, I know when I'm walking into those traps Kakashi-sensei sets up and I know I'm making a fool of myself being loud and rash… but that's the mask I put up and so I had to keep it, no matter how tired of it I got. I don't even like ramen, I just eat it because it's cheap and no one will notice my eyes if I have to eat with my head down." He sighed, setting his head on his hands, but turning his to look at Sasuke, "I've been living a lie Sasuke; my entire life has been a lie."

"Then are you saying, our fights were acts, Naruto? That everything we've done has been a lie to you?"

"No!" He jerked his head up, shaking it side to side, "No…the only truth in my life has been my rivalry with you and when I fight against you, though I have my stupid mask on, I'm fighting you with everything I have."

Sasuke sat down next to Naruto again, closer this time, but Naruto edged away from him. Sasuke let the gesture slide and sighed, "I'm glad to know that. I'd have to beat you into the ground if you said you were acting that out."

Naruto gaped, "Did you just…did you just make a joke?"

He growled and punched him lightly on the shoulder, "Do you want to push the subject?"

"N-no!" But the grin on his face mocked him. He just missed Sasuke's next punch and had to jump back before he was pinned down by him. Sasuke immediately flitted behind the blonde boy and kicked him the side, sending him flying across the ground, but Naruto quickly stopped his tumble and grinned at Sasuke before coming back at him.

After an hour, the battle was decided with Sasuke perched overtop of Naruto, smirking as normal, but there was no malice this time, nor the cold superiority he usually held over him. Naruto was trying to figure out what was behind that smirk when it suddenly became a grin and before he could ask why, Sasuke started tickling him. Bouts of laughter came from the blonde haired boy until tears were streaming down his face and he was begging Sasuke for mercy.

Only after Naruto was beginning to hyperventilate did Sasuke stop, but he didn't move from his perch atop Naruto. Instead he grinned and waited until Naruto could once more breathe and talk. "It's good to see you smile again, dobe."

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered, his body tense beneath Sasuke.

"Yes?" He asked, leaning closer to hear him.

"Thank you."

Sasuke sat back up, feeling the blush rising to his cheeks, "What for?"

Naruto also sat up and Sasuke moved off of him. "Because you're here Sasuke, you're the only one who ever thought to see if something was wrong…everyone else just ignored me and never cared enough to actually ask."

"Naruto…" He paused, looking uncertain with what he wanted to ask. The blonde was acting different again and he kept turning stiff beneath his touch.

"Yeah?" Naruto asked, cocking his head curiously. What was so hard that the great Sasuke was hesitating?

He gave an exasperated sigh, Naruto was back to his self now that he wasn't near him, and finally spoke, "I'm eighteen and you're seventeen now, I've known you for five years as a teammate, rival and a friend, but…" He paused again, looking at Naruto who continued to stare curiously, oblivious to Sasuke's discomfort. It bothered him that he didn't know anything about his teammate, not a single thing that really mattered. "But Naruto, I don't know anything about you." He finally said, staring right the blonde.

Naruto looked away, throwing a rock aimlessly, "Sure you do, I'm loud, I like ramen, I'm always wearing orange for some reason, I—"

"Dobe! Stop acting like a dobe and listen." Sasuke grabbed him by the shoulders and made Naruto face him. "I want to know _you_. Not Uzumaki Naruto or the dobe, but you. No lies, no masks and no hiding."

He flinched at the touch and took a shaky breath, "But…I can't do that."

That took Sasuke by surprise and he dropped his arms, "Why?"

"Because you'll hate me." He said, starting to cry again, "I don't want to lose my friend and if you know _me_ , you'll hate me and leave me."

"Let me decide that." Sasuke said gently.

"But everyone else does! Everyone else hates me and would rather see me dead."

"Not everyone hates you, there's Sakura, Kakashi-sen—"

"They hate me." He whispered, "Sakura only sees you and thinks of me as some revolting _thing_ and Kakashi-sensei only ever has eyes for you, he doesn't think twice about me. If he had to choose between the two of us, he'd choose you without a second thought…Even Iruka-sensei believes I'm a burden." The tears were coming freely now and he leaned forward until his forehead rested against Sasuke's chest, his body shaking with sobs.

"Naruto, I promise you, I won't hate you. I just want to know you."

" _Why_?"

"I said this dobe," he growled, but awkwardly pulled the blonde into a comforting hug. "You're important to me." Yet he was surprised when Naruto became tense in his arms and noticed his body wasn't trembling because he was crying, but because he was so close to Sasuke. He was about to ask what was wrong, when Naruto spoke.

"I'm the fox demon, Kyuubi." He whispered after the long silence. "The Fourth sealed him within me at the cost of his life."

Sasuke oddly wasn't too surprised by the blonde's words, he knew there was a reason for all the hate shown towards the blonde, but he hadn't thought _that._ Yet still, he wasn't too surprised. "Naruto…I'm sorry." He whispered, pulling the smaller boy closer and ignoring Naruto's sudden stillness, "But I don't care, the demon may have been sealed within you, but that doesn't mean you are the demon."

Naruto pulled away, stepping back a couple feet, and stared curiously at Sasuke. "You mean you still want to be around me?"

He grinned, turning to look over Konoha once more. Sometimes the blonde could be so dense. "Yes dobe, I still want to be around you."

"Thank you Sasuke, no one has ever…" He stopped, sniffling and smiling as his tears dried.

Sasuke couldn't help but smile. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he turned to leave, glancing over his shoulder at his teammate. "Come on dobe, we're late."

Naruto laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry!"

"Hn, it's about time Kakashi-sensei had to wait for us instead of the other way around, but if we don't hurry, they'll think we've disappeared." He then started back down the cliff with Naruto right behind him. Both walked in content silence and arrived at the bridge minutes later. As they approached the bridge, Sasuke glanced over to see Naruto smiling again, a real smile without any masks. Yet there was something he was hiding and Sasuke couldn't stop thinking about his odd behavior. Not just the new clothes and attitude, but the fear radiating off of him every time he came close. How when he touched the blonde, he'd tense and his eyes would dart around nervously and he hadn't missed the paler skin as they walked back either. Something was wrong, very wrong, and Naruto was hiding it from everyone.

"Oi, Sasuke!" He grinned, "What do you want to know about me?"

Ebony eyes looked into blue as Sasuke thought of a question. "Let's start with when's your birthday dobe?" He asked, smirking at the blonde twitching at the name. In truth, the question had been plaguing him for the last hour. He had known the blonde for five years and not once had his birthday came up. They didn't even celebrate it as they did on his, Sakura's and even Kakashi's birthday. Not once had the blonde ever mention his birthday in all these years and it bothered Sasuke, thinking back on how Naruto somehow afforded a present for everyone on their birthday and yet, no one ever thought about his.

Naruto smiled and whispered just loud enough for him alone to hear, "Today," before running to the bridge to greet a fuming Sakura and a curious, yet also irritated, Kakashi.

Dhampir   
Page 7  
1/16/2005  
  
  


**Hello! I took this down back when things were a bit too crazy in my life, but I'm bringing it back! Hopefully I'll be making minor corrections as needed, but leaving it as it was prior.**  
  
Also, I _know_ that now many of the things in my story are done or overdone, but when I originally wrote it, it wasn't. So please don't tell me how this is so overdone now, etc. ^_^


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.

 **Warnings:** Sasuke does get out of character in this one most of the time...And Naruto has a reason for the drastic change in his attitude.

* * *

**Living a Lie  
**

_Chapter Two_

Sasuke walked next to Kakashi and Sakura, watching Naruto look around the festival with faked curiosity though Sasuke seemed to be the only one noticing it. Both Sakura and Kakashi were smiling sweetly at him as if he was an idiot. Sakura was still latched onto his arm and though it was annoying him to no end, he was too preoccupied with Naruto to make an effort to remove her body from his side. She was still wearing her ninja outfit, but she had put her hair up and was wearing lip gloss and blush.

"Sakura, would you mind talking to Naruto for a while?" Sasuke suddenly asked, still not taking his eyes off of the blonde. He tore his gaze away to look at the hurt and curious pink haired girl next to him. "I want to talk with Kakashi-sensei."

"Oh, okay Sasuke-kun…" she said softly and then ran after Naruto, yelling, "Get back here baka!"

Kakashi turned his one eye to Sasuke curiously, "What's so important that you sent Sakura after Naruto?" Knowing no good could come of an irate Sakura and Naruto together.

Sasuke was silent for a while, contemplating if it was in his right to say what he was going to or not. "How much do you know about Naruto?"

"About Naruto?" The silver haired teacher frowned.

"What are his likes and dislikes? Where does he live? What happened in his past? Who's he like? _When's his birthday_?" Sasuke asked, stressing the last question. He rounded on his sensei and stared straight at the jounin.

"Why the sudden questions, Sasuke?"

He looked down, "Why don't you know?" He whispered, "I can see it that you don't know by your voice. You know everything there is to know about me and Sakura and yet the one that keeps us all together you don't know anything about."

"Naruto keeps us together?" Kakashi laughed, "I thought you'd say he was tearing us apart Sasuke."

"Is that what you think?" He growled and Kakashi immediately stopped laughing, startled at the emotion radiating off the dark featured boy. He looked down guiltily and whispered, "Do I really give off that impression?" When he met his sensei's eyes again, they were narrowed and full emotion. "The only reason I haven't strangled Sakura is because of Naruto and the only reason I'm still here is because of Naruto. Or did you forget that I ran off to join that bastard snake Orochimaru and that only Naruto was able to bring me back? Why don't you know anything about your student, _Kakashi_?"

The jounin was utterly surprised, never had he seen Sasuke so angry or…was he being protective of _Naruto_? Kakashi stared down at his pupil, he thought they were rivals and teammates, but now Sasuke was angry that he knew nothing about the person he supposedly hated. He thought it was odd that Naruto and Sasuke were together when they came to the bridge and hour and a half late, but they both acted the same and so he dismissed it. "What happened, Sasuke? Why all these questions?"

"Just answer me."

"No, I don't know very much about Naruto and I don't know where he lives. I know he likes ramen and I know he doesn't like you—"

Sasuke snorted, cutting Kakashi off, "Show's how much you know. Naruto doesn't like ramen and he doesn't hate me, we've come to a bit of an agreement… but you do know when his birthday is, don't you?"

 _Agreement?_ Kakashi frowned, _and Naruto doesn't like ramen?_ _And when did Sasuke learn about Naruto's birthday and why?_ He wasn't certain where this was going, but he answered hesitantly controlling his own anger at Sasuke's constant pressuring and persistence. "Yes…"

"Then why do you ignore it?" He yelled, drawing attention to the two arguing shinobi. "Why didn't you tell us? We've known him five years and I'm now learning this?"

Kakashi showed about as much emotion as Sasuke ever did, but in a different manner. While Sasuke was always cold and discontent, Kakashi was always bored and cheerful. Yet the prodigy's words cut into him and he retorted with the same anger, "Did you notice how sad he gets around this time, Sasuke? The reason we never celebrate his birthday is because he always disappears on his birthday! I don't know where he lives and not even Iruka knows where he goes to. I don't know where he lives because only Iruka knows that and Naruto asked him not to tell anyone. I'm sure you're smart enough to know why he doesn't want anyone knowing where he lives." He growled, "Anyways, what are you usually doing on this day? Training in isolation and not caring about anyone else around you. No one ever thought to notice that Naruto wasn't around today during the most important day to both him and Konoha, but if you know his birthday then you must know why he usually runs."

Sasuke looked down, defeated. He hadn't thought about why Naruto would stay away from the village on his birthday, but now it made sense. The festival celebrated the victory over the fox demon and so the hate for Naruto would be higher today than any other day. "…I just don't understand why we were never told. _That_ Naruto up there isn't him Kakashi-sensei, I saw that today. He was sad…I've never seen him sad."

"Sasuke," he said, wrapping a hand around the boy's shoulders, "We all wear masks, Naruto's mask is just more foolproof than our own, so foolproof that most of the time we don't even notice something's wrong with him."

Sasuke stayed quiet, he knew his own mask was slipping now, he was talking too much and he was being indecisive. He never talked this much and he was showing emotion, something else he never did. He was an Uchiha; he wasn't supposed to have compassion or any kind of emotion for that matter except hate and rage. Yet… looking at the blonde, he felt neither hate nor rage, it was almost as if they just disappeared.

"You want to see him smile, don't you?" Kakashi whispered.

He nodded slowly, staring over at the blonde boy now complaining to Sakura. "I want him to be happy…"

"Then go do that." Sasuke tensed, but Kakashi continued, "Drop your own mask and make him smile."

"But…"

"Sasuke, he needs you. You're his only friend, I see you know that now, he always thought of you as his friend even though you never noticed it. You're the only one he's dropped his guard around and the only one he trusts, he doesn't trust me or even the Hokage as much as he does you."

"Kakashi-sensei…what happened to him?"

Kakashi froze. "What do you mean?"

"Something happened to him and he's not telling us. He's acting weird, like he doesn't want anyone to touch him or even come near him…why?"

"Naruto will have to be the one to tell you, because I don't know the entire reason either."

He didn't speak, but nodded and walked towards his two teammates. Naruto was talking excitedly with Sakura about everything he saw and was begging her for some money to play a game. Sasuke smirked; Naruto just looked cute when he pouted.

Kakashi shook his head, muttering, "Teenagers." He glanced around curiously before ducking into a bookstore stand where his new book was waiting to be bought.

Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets and ignored Sakura's grab at his arm. He watched Naruto, seeing the flash of hurt at how quickly Sakura left his side, but he covered it quickly with a well placed grin.

"Sasuke-kun! I'm so glad you're back, I was about to hurt Naruto, he was being so annoying."

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto whined, but the hurt couldn't be masked in his eyes.

Sasuke shrugged Sakura off of him and gave Naruto a small smile, "How about some lunch? It's just about noon."

"Ramen?" The blonde boy asked expectantly.

"No. Ramen is not a lunch for your birthday." He grinned and started towards another food stand where rice and chicken curry were being served. Naruto cried, making Sakura drag him over, and pretended to be upset at the idea of something other than ramen, but Sasuke saw the silent thank you the boy gave him.

Sakura finally seemed to catch what Sasuke said as she sat between the two of them and she rounded on Naruto, "It's your birthday?'

He nodded enthusiastically, but inside he was shaking with fear, afraid that she would make the connection. "Yup! I'm seventeen!"

"Why didn't you ever tell me? I would've gotten you something!"

"Really Sakura-chan? You would've done that?" His eyes brightened and he smiled happily as he ate his curry.

"Of course! You are my teammate after all." Then something struck her and she looked at Sasuke, "How did you know?"

Sasuke just shrugged, he didn't care if Sakura was curious, he wasn't going to tell her how he knew. What transpired between the two boys was their secret alone and Sasuke didn't want to share that with anyone. Anyways, he and Naruto were rivals as everyone knew and so anything like heart to heart talks would only bring endless gossip and questions, people would see it as weird. Hell, it was weird. He never thought he'd be comforting the dobe, the bright energetic blonde he saw as a friend.

Though he eyes were cold and void of emotion, as was his face, he was smiling inwardly as the blonde ordered a third bowl, practically yelling it out. Sakura scowled and told him to nicely shut up and then returned to her own bowl. Naruto shrugged and began eating his new bowl of curry as if it were ramen, not even pausing to chew.

Sasuke paid for the entire bill, all sixteen bowls of it between the three of them, and then slowly walked out to the main attractions of the festival. Jugglers, acrobats, ninjas and tamed animals performed in the center of the village, putting on a spectacular show of skill, creativity and art blended together as one.

The day was fairly quiet, only the sounds of soft music and quiet talking could be heard as the trio walked through the masses of people. Sasuke didn't miss one cold look, one trip or shove as they walked the entire grounds, but Naruto refused to do anything, he'd just laugh and apologize for being so clumsy. It confused the prodigy, he knew how strong Naruto was and he knew how he never took this kind of treatment from anyone at the Academy, but he willingly took everything the villagers did to him. It was starting to anger him, both Naruto's attitude and the people's hate. He forced his fury down, keeping his face and eyes expressionless, but he began watching every person that passed them by.

The three of them walked the entire festival grounds, stopping to play games or talk with comrades, and even stopped to admire the fireworks once dusk set in. Even Sasuke played a couple games, winning both Naruto and Sakura something, but Naruto stayed away from the game booths. When Sasuke asked why, the blonde just shrugged and said he wasn't good at that game or something else to that extent. Yet, the smaller boy did seem to be genuinely enjoying his birthday for once and so Sasuke didn't push it.

As night finally set in, Sasuke stopped at a game booth and smirked at Naruto, knowing this was one game the blonde couldn't avoid. Kunai Throwing. He put the money down for six kunai each and then arched an eyebrow at the blonde. "Do you think you can beat me, dobe?"

Naruto immediately retorted out of habit and grabbed the six kunai from Sasuke's hands. "Shut up teme! Just watch, I'll beat you." He immediately threw one at the target, hitting it dead center, which stunned everyone except Sasuke.

He smirked and also threw one, hitting the target dead center. "Come on Naruto, you must be able to do better than that." He taunted.

The blonde just grinned and went to pick up another kunai when he suddenly found his hand being nailed to the counter. One of the bystanders heard Sasuke speak his name and took action, jamming a kunai clean through his hand. Naruto bit back a scream, shaking at the pain reverberating through his hand and arm. Yet, he cried out when the man twisted the kunai still in his hand, ripping the muscles and breaking bones. Naruto held back a sob, pulling at his hand still nailed to the counter as the man twisted it again.

Sasuke was at first uncertain of what happened, but when the boy let out a scream of pure fear and pain, he snapped back to the present and grabbed a kunai, throwing it at the man. "Get the hell away from him!" He yelled, but the man just removed the kunai from his shoulder and slashed at Naruto's chest, still holding him in place with his immobile hand.

"Why aren't you dead, monster?" The man growled, and brought down his fist. "You're supposed to be dead! They said they took care of you yesterday." Naruto cringed, waiting for the blow, but it never came. Blood was now freely flowing from both his hand and chest and he was in so much pain that he couldn't see straight. Yet, he could still hear them.

"I said get the hell away from him." Someone growled, Sasuke. He had caught the man's fist and was now squeezing it harshly, wanting the man to experience the same pain Naruto had.

"You wouldn't say that if you know what he is!" The man spat, but he removed his hand from the kunai and dropped the other.

"I know all about him and I will say this only once more." His voice becoming dangerously cold. "You get the hell away from him or I'll slit your throat."

"You wouldn't do that, you're a ninja and you are here to protect the village. You wouldn't hurt your own people."

He tightened his grip on the man's hand. "Do you want to try me?"

"Sas…uke…Sasuke." Naruto whispered, he had pulled the kunai out of his hand and was now shaking his shoulder weakly. "Just leave it, it's okay. I'm fine."

"It's _not_ okay!" Sasuke yelled. "How can you just stand there and do nothing?"

"Because if I do anything, it just gets worse." He said, blinking back tears, "I'm fine, look, I'm already healing." He held up his hand, showing the receding blood, but there was still an open wound and his chest was still bleeding.

Suddenly, the blonde was knocked into Sasuke as another villager delivered a hard blow to his head. Naruto let out a cry as he skidded across the ground, falling into an unmoving heap five feet away. Sasuke turned around and saw a middle aged woman standing behind him with a bat in one hand and a kunai in the other. "Don't defend that _thing_."

"Stay away from him." He growled lowly, kicking back the man and taking a defensive stand over Naruto. Being so close, Sasuke could hear his quiet sobs and see the blood running out from under his chest, but the blood running down his neck worried him more than his chest wound. Sakura knelt down next to Naruto and laid a hand on his back but Naruto shivered under her and she removed her hand.

Shikamaru, Ino, Kiba and Neji appeared suddenly beside Sasuke, all five of them surrounding Naruto and Sakura and protecting him from the villagers. Hinata, Lee, Choji and Tenten were on the side, ready to rush the village from behind if they made a move against Naruto. Weapons were drawn and a couple were thrown to warn back the crowd. Sasuke was the most threatening looking with a kunai in each hand, a dark scowl on his face and Sharnigan activated.

A man clad in black and gray suddenly jumped down from the top of the booth. His arms were crossed casually, but the look in his eye sent cold shivers down their backs. "Is there a problem here?" He asked, lifting up his protector to uncover his scarred eye. "I believe Sasuke already said this, but it looks like you didn't hear the first couple times. _Stay away from him_ " His voice darkened and he glanced over at the woman who had knocked Naruto down. "If any of you attack my charges, you will not only face my wrath, but also the Hokage's."

Anger and disgust could be seen in the crowd's eyes, but the rage shining in both student and teacher was beyond theirs and so slowly, muttering threats and curses, they dissipated. Sasuke immediately turned to Naruto's fallen body and knelt down, pulling the boy up to his chest. Blood was falling from his chest and the wound on the back of his head was bleeding profusely, forming a puddle of blood underneath him. "Naruto? Naruto, are you okay?"

Sakura looked up at him, "Sasuke-kun, are you hurt?"

The glare he shot at Sakura was so cold she swore the temperature dropped a couple degrees. "What the hell were you doing? Naruto is lying here half conscious and bleeding and you're asking about _me_?" He growled. "Everyone else was here risking our lives and careers for Naruto and you were kneeling next to him just _watching?_ I don't know what you were doing Sakura, but I don't want to see you unless you're genuinely worried about Naruto." Then he picked up the bloody blonde, glancing at Kakashi over his shoulder and started towards the hospital with Shikamaru just behind him.

"Sasuke!" The jounin yelled, "Not the hospital, they'll neglect him. Take him to Tsunade, she'll help him. I'll tell her you're on your way." He said, knowing Sasuke wouldn't give up the boy. "Shikamaru, help control the crowd, I have a feeling they're still angry." Shikamaru nodded hesitantly and with one more look at Sasuke and Naruto, turned around and landed beside Ino and Kiba, ordering them to detain the two citizens who attacked Naruto and anyone else who tried to help the two. Then he ordered the others to help control the crowd.

Sasuke clutched Naruto tightly around the shoulders and knees, though still being careful enough to not hurt him, and took off jumping roof to roof towards the Hokage. He was trying hard not to jolt Naruto, but every time he landed on a roof, the half-conscious boy would cry out in agonizing pain. He didn't understand why he was in such pain, he knew his head and chest were wounded, but never had he seen Naruto respond like this. Blood began to drip down Sasuke's arms coming from Naruto's chest wound while his head wound soaked into his shirt and traced down his stomach.

He arrived minutes later at Tsunade's office and found Kakashi and Tsunade waiting anxiously for him. He hesitantly handed Naruto over to Tsunade, not wanting to let the blonde go, but knowing he had to if he wanted him to survive. "He's been crying out in pain every time I land and I don't know why, but his wounds aren't healing! He said that he was fine and that they were already healing, so why aren't they?" Sasuke was near hysterical, letting only the two of them see how distraught he was. "What's wrong with him?"

Tsunade glanced at Kakashi, "He knows?" When the silver haired jounin nodded, she looked at Sasuke, "He's not healing because Kyuubi used up all his chakra healing him yesterday."

"Yesterday…?"

"This is nothing compared to yesterday, Sasuke. It's only luck that Kakashi found him yesterday…" She said, slowly removing Naruto's shirt with a pair of scissors, careful of the wound. "I had sent Kakashi on a routine scouting yesterday, I'm certain you remember, you were given the day off." When Sasuke nodded, she continued, her voice soft and sad. "Kakashi was out by the gates when he said he picked up on a large amount of chakra being given off not too far from him, but that it was depleting at a startling rate. He was given permission to scout the area and Kakashi found Naruto two miles outside of Konoha beaten, cut and bloody. He was barely breathing, but Kyuubi had already healed most of his wounds. I don't even want to know what he looked like before Kakashi got there." She shuddered as she cleaned the deep chest wound stretching from his left shoulder to his ribcage. "When Kakashi approached him, Naruto screamed in pain and even after Kakashi calmed him down, he flinched at every touch. When…" She paused again, running her hand through his spiky hair and then started cleaning his hand. "When Kakashi asked him what happened, Naruto just whispered, 'it's my early birthday present' and then gave control to Kyuubi."

"He…what?" Sasuke gaped.

Kakashi nodded and took over so Tsunade could begin her healing jutsu. "The damn fox scared me so bad that I almost dropped Naruto, but he swore he'd give control back once Naruto could handle it. He said right now Naruto's mind was fragile and broken and he didn't know how to mend it. When I asked what happened, he seemed reluctant to answer, saying it was up to Naruto who he wished to tell, but that he would tell me most of what happened." Kakashi looked at Tsunade, knowing it unwise to continue his story while she was trying so hard to concentrate and save Naruto's life. Hearing this again would only cause her pain and she'd lose her concentration. It ripped Kakashi apart every time he had to repeat what Kyuubi told him, which would now be his fifth time. "Sasuke, come with me and leave Hokage-sama to her work." The boy only nodded numbly, still trying to understand everything that his sensei was saying.

 _Naruto had given control to Kyuubi, Naruto had given control to Kyuubi, Naruto had given control to Kyuubi_ … Sasuke couldn't stop repeating that phrase in his head. Naruto never gave control to anyone and he suddenly gave it to a demon, the monster that attacked the village and destroyed many families and half their village. The dobe would only do that if the stress of his life were so great he became mentally unstable, but he now knew what the blonde went through every day and so for him to give up control meant that something horrific had happened.

"Sasuke," Kakashi spoke, his voice soft but grave. "No one else knows of this except you, me, Umino-san and Tsunade-sama, do you understand?"

"I will say nothing." He responded truthfully.

He nodded, "Kyuubi said four Anbu attacked Naruto two nights ago. Naruto had been training near the woods when they ambushed him and dragged him into the woods. He was already worn out when they struck so he couldn't put up much of a fight… they took him two miles away from the village, dragging him through brush, rock and stream, and finally begun their torture."

"They tortured him?" Sasuke growled, his fists clenched so tightly his fingernails were biting into his palm.

"Yes, they tortured him." Kakashi's voice broke as he thought of what his young student must have endured. "Kyuubi said he was stabbed seventeen times in the back, his stomach was sliced open and someone had cut his intestines. Dried blood on his neck told me that they tried to slit his throat, but Kyuubi said they actually fractured his neck by stabbing him through the throat." He paused, "Both hands were broken, seven fingers, someone had placed deep puncture wounds in his thighs and also his shoulders. It seemed the only place they didn't touch was his heart…but Kyuubi said there was a lot of internal damage, though he wouldn't say what or why. Kyuubi used up every last reserve of chakra he had to keep Naruto alive, starting from the inside and out. By the time I had found him, everything except some internal damage and the seventeen back wounds had been healed.

"Hell Sasuke, there was so much blood…I've never seen so much blood come from one person, let alone a child of seventeen!" Kakashi whispered, his voice quavering as he held back tears. Never had Sasuke heard his sensei speak like this, with such pain and sorrow. "When Naruto didn't show up that morning at the bridge, I thought it was because his birthday was coming up and he wanted to be away from the villagers before anything happened. Damn it! If I had gotten there just an hour later or doubled back for reinforcements, Naruto would be dead….I should've known he would never skip a day unless something was wrong. Damn it!" Self hatred could be heard laced in his voice, "Naruto is always there, even if yesterday was a pointless meeting, he would be there, but I didn't think anything of it. I just thought he wanted to get away from here…not even Iruka thought anything was wrong even though he admitted to not seeing him that night either. We've become so used to Naruto disappearing for the last six years of his life that we n-never…never even dreamed someone would go to such an extent to kill him."

Sasuke remained silent, unmoving. He never thought this would happen, he didn't know the villagers hated him so much that they would try to assassinate him. Kakashi took a moment to breathe, stopping the angry shudders he felt in his chest, and then looked down at Sasuke, still silent and expressionless, but anger flickered across his eyes. "Kyuubi…" he continued, "Kyuubi said he was constantly healing Naruto for two hours as the four jounin tortured him. He finally had to let them do as they pleased until they left; only healing the major injuries continuously to keep him alive. Once they thought Naruto dead, they headed back to Konoha, leaving Naruto cold, hurt, bleeding, broken and dying. Kyuubi worked all night and all day healing him, but even with his large reservoir of chakra he could not heal everything. That is the extent of damage they inflicted upon him. If Tsunade hadn't offered her help, not even Kyuubi would've been able to save Naruto. But…" He paused again, speaking even lower than before, "But the fox said that Naruto was—is—still not completely healed."

"His state of mind, right?" Sasuke asked, dreading and expecting the answer.

"Yes, Kyuubi said that Naruto would be very fragile and even though he knew the boy would most likely be back in control today, he also knew Naruto would act like nothing happened while he suffered inside. I don't know what happened exactly, but from what Kyuubi said, Naruto is very vulnerable right now."

Sasuke looked down at the ground and then leaned against the wall, "Why does he put up with it all? How can he?"

"Because Naruto is strong."

"No, he isn't strong, Kakashi-sensei, he isn't strong at all. He's just hiding it… how long has this been going on? How long has he silently suffered?"

"Longer than you have." Tsunade said from the doorway. They both turned to her, shocked at her appearance. Her robes were flecked with blood, her face and hair was slick with sweat and she was breathing hard. "I've done this too many times in such a short notice. My jutsus takes a lot of chakra out of me and I've now done this twice in two days, my chakra is so depleted that I can't even do simple healing jutsus."

"But will…will Naruto survive?" Sasuke asked, almost afraid to ask.

"Yes, he'll be fine, just a little tired for the next couple days, but I fear that more attacks will follow." She said, knowing there was no way either she or Kyuubi would be able to save him next time if the attack came in the next couple days. "Kakashi, Sasuke, you two will be on guard duty from now on. I want you two with him at all times until we find these jounin who tried to kill him and also the villagers who wounded him tonight."

Kakashi placed a hand on Tsunade's shoulder, "Thank you, Tsunade-sama, thank you. Now go rest, we'll watch him. You need to rest if you're going to continue being Hokage.

She nodded, knowing he was right and too drained to argue. She walked slowly to her room and collapsed onto her bed, spent for the day.

Two days later and Naruto had yet to awaken. Sasuke and Kakashi stayed next to him at all hours of the day, taking twelve hour shifts each and only leaving to relieve themselves or eat. They spent seven hours of the day together, Kakashi taking the night watch since he was more skilled at predicting moves and more experienced. Also, at night the chances of someone attacking Naruto were _slightly_ higher than during the day and so it was only sensible that the elite shinobi take that watch.

Tsunade visited every day, checking over Naruto's vital signs and comatose state. She told them sadly that the stress of the last couple days had been too much for him to handle and so he had slipped into a self induced coma. She had tried to reach his mind several times using different jutsus, but nothing was there. No flicker of recognition or thought came from the blonde, just silence.

The village didn't know much of what happened, but everyone knew Naruto was being held by the Hokage and protected by Sasuke and Kakashi. Iruka was the only outside person allowed to see Naruto, not ever Sakura had been allowed permission to visit him. Though that was more because of Sasuke than Tsunade, he threatened the guards that if Sakura were admitted to enter than she'd be leaving through the window. Kakashi agreed, though not to that extent, that Sakura be refused because of her actions that night. It was plain to see that her main concern was about Sasuke and not about her other teammate.

Iruka visited every day, immediately after classes, and stayed until eleven every night before going home and doing the same thing again the next day. Every day Kakashi had to take Iruka outside the room and console the chunin as he cried. They'd stay there for minutes or sometimes hours, but every day it was same.

Dhampir  
Page 10  
1/17/2005

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And there's the second chapter! I did change a bit of the wording here and there, but otherwise have tried to leave it the same.

And thank you for those who reviewed or PM'd me about my story. I doubt this will get back up to the 3K reviews it had before, but it's nice to hear from so many people who remember reading this originally and are excited to read it again now.


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Three_

Six days had passed before there was any sign of Naruto waking up. Kakashi was outside with Iruka again and Sasuke was sitting in his chair beside Naruto. He was staring at the blonde when he saw his face scrunch up in pain and heard the small whimper escape from his lips. His body began to shake with fear and slowly his fingers clawed at the sheets until his hands gripped them so tightly his knuckles began to turn white.

"Naruto?" Sasuke whispered, slowly standing and approaching the boy's side. Now closer, he could see his blonde hair slick with sweat and tears falling down his face. His body trembled and his whimpers became louder as his fear mounted. Sasuke touched the blonde's hand hesitantly, "Naruto, what's wrong?" His voice soft and gentle. Under his touch, the trembles slightly lessened, but he continued to whimper. "What the hell is wrong with you dobe?" He whispered and took the boy's hand in his own. Nails bit deeply into his hand and he winced as trickles of blood fell onto the bed. Sasuke was surprised at how cold and clammy Naruto's hand felt, this was the first time he touched him in over a week.

When Naruto's whimpering didn't subside and the blonde began to toss about, he growled. He petted his head with his free hand, conflicting emotions running through his mind, and let out an annoyed sigh when the blonde began struggling more. "Damn it Naruto! You're going to hurt yourself." He growled and finally resorted to holding the blonde down before he did hurt himself.

He slipped into the bed and pulled Naruto close to him, wrapping an arm around the blonde's shoulders while the other still held his hand. Subconsciously, he stroked Naruto's shoulder and tried to whisper comforts to the boy, though they kept coming out as annoyed remarks and insults. Yet slowly, the whimpering and trembling subsided and Sasuke fell silent. He stared down at Naruto's face at the peaceful expression and sighed, content for the moment. He began to slide out of the bed when the hand he held gripped his tighter.

Then Naruto's eyes opened, but they weren't his eyes. They were still that vibrant blue and warm, but the pupil's had become slightly more diagonal than before. "Keep talking to him." The voice was not his own, a deeper, more animalistic edge could be heard behind Naruto's voice.

"Kyuubi?" Sasuke whispered, stilling.

He nodded slightly, "The kit's going through some bad memories and he can't wake up from them. Yet your voice calms him and the memories fade. Keep talking to him."

Sasuke nodded.

"Do you mind if he comes closer to you? I'm trying my best, but he needs to be physically reassured and I think you're the only one who can keep him calm."

Sasuke nodded again, moving back behind Naruto and pulling the blonde back up next to him.

"He'll be happy…about this…" Kyuubi whispered, giving Naruto control once more, which sent them both back into the recesses of his mind. Then Naruto's body moved closer. The hand gripping his moved and gripped his shirt instead, his legs curled and his knees touched Sasuke's thigh, his head now resting in the crook of his arm, and the last hand snaked around his waist pulling him closer.

Sasuke smirked, "Dobe." He snorted, dropping his injured hand to his stomach and started humming a tune. He rested his head against the wall and sung the words quietly, an old song his mother once sang. He didn't exactly enjoy being in such close proximity to the blonde, he wasn't too big on showing affection or concern, but he also didn't want Naruto to hurt himself any more than he already was.

Kakashi entered and stopped with Iruka at the sight of Naruto in Sasuke's arms. He smiled and looked at Iruka who was gaping at them. Sasuke just looked up at them and then continued his quiet singing as Kakashi and Iruka sat down near them. After he finished the fourth verse and Naruto's breaths were clear and slow, Sasuke stopped and looked at the two men. He sighed in relief, shifting slightly to get more comfortable, and then told them about Kyuubi speaking to him.

"So the old fox does seem to care for Naruto." Kakashi said thoughtfully.

Sasuke nodded, "He said he was trying to comfort Naruto, but that he could only get so far…"

"But he moved." Iruka said, "Maybe he's finally starting to come out of his coma."

"We can only hope," Kakashi whispered, "we can only hope."

* * *

After Iruka left, Kakashi settled into his regular position to guard his two students through the night. He had asked for Sakura to be assigned to another team, but only temporarily, though he wasn't certain if he'd ever get his team back. It was true the three of them were already chunin, even closer to elite jounin, but still they continued to work together and have Kakashi train them. All their missions were given to them as a team and the Hokage even began to assign lower class jounin to chunin teams, believing that it would be good to have a jounin watch and help train the new chunin shinobi.

So Sakura was placed with Shikamaru, Choji and Ino along with a jounin that Kakashi didn't know. It was odd to have a five man team, but he also knew Shikamaru would be taking the Jounin Exams soon and would most likely be assigned to his old team as their instructor. He sighed, already missing his team and Naruto's antics, and looked over at the two boys. Sasuke had fallen asleep, looking more peaceful than he had ever seen the boy before, with Naruto still in his arms. Kakashi stood up and draped a blanket over the boys before settling back into his spot by the window. Sasuke looked over at him with sleepy eyes and then pulled the blanket up more before drifting back to sleep, mumbling a quiet "thanks".

Kakashi smiled and then stared out the window; he didn't even read his books while he was with Naruto, which was at all times. He couldn't bring himself to enjoy his light duty when one of his students lay unresponsive on a hospital bed. He never did ask Sasuke why he got in the bed in the first place, but let it slide, knowing it would only bring glares and no answer. He doubted Sasuke even knew why.

He sighed again, staring at the two boys and then back out the window. He knew an attack would be coming soon, maybe not tonight, but soon. They were starting to relax now that the immediate danger was over and Kakashi knew the time to strike was near. If he was the one leading this campaign against Naruto, he would've attacked yesterday when it was just starting to calm down because he knew that most shinobi would think it still too early to attack. Attacking later than today would just put everyone on guard even more because it had gone too long without disturbance. Almost three weeks and not a single soul had tried to hurt Naruto…not that he wasn't planning on Naruto dying, but there were so many people who hated him and he's lying on a hospital bed, completely helpless to any attacks.

The door opened and a man dressed in black entered. Kakashi released a kunai without a hesitation, striking the man dead before he could take a second step towards Naruto. Kakashi stood slowly, both eyes uncovered and watching. "Yo. I was wondering when you guys were going to attack again, it was getting tiresome."

Another figure stepped into the room while two more appeared behind him. Kakashi watched them carefully, though his face expressed boredom instead of anxiety. He stood before Naruto's bed, guarding the two boys while removing two more kunai. From the shift in the bed, he guessed Sasuke had awakened and didn't even move as a kunai came flashing from behind him. Then a second one in rapid succession and they both stuck true, injuring two of the men before they had time to react. Kakashi had to admit; Sasuke was becoming a great ninja and would even be considered a seasoned jounin as he was now.

Sasuke appeared next to Kakashi, shirukin and kunai in hand, his eyes already blood red with his Sharingan. He heard Naruto's quiet whimper, finally noticing the loss of body heat, and spared a quick glance at him. He was groping for Sasuke, his hands trembling and searching to no avail, and the blonde began to shake once more.

He had left Naruto's side when he heard Kakashi speak and readied himself for an attack next to his former sensei, there was no way they were going to touch Naruto. The three men looked at student and teacher apprehensively and moved cautiously under their eyes. Kakashi didn't like how these men moved, he was expecting better shinobi then the one's present, but right now they were his main priority and he focused on them.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said, flipping a kunai in his hand, "two, one?"

"Hn." He whispered before the two attacked, splitting the group up. Sasuke cornered one in the room while Kakashi pushed the other two into the hallway. Sasuke watched the man in front of him cautiously, aware of their difference in skill. This man was a trained Anbu and though he was at the jounin level, he lacked the experience as well as the vest.

In the dark room, Sasuke could just see the glint of a weapon and was able to parry it, but the second attack barely registered in his mind as he stumbled back. A shallow gash ran down his bicep and he cursed as the man slipped passed him and started towards Naruto.

He just reached the bed when Sasuke tackled him into the wall. "No!" Before the man could do anything, he found a kunai at his throat and another between his legs, both pressing threateningly. "Don't you touch him."

"Why do you insist on protecting that _thing_? Best to kill the boy now before he kills again."

"And if you as much as _look_ at him, I'll kill you." Sasuke growled, pressing the both kunais against the man, making blood trickle down his throat. The man stopped his struggle immediately and looked at the door, knowing his fight was over. He couldn't move before Sasuke slit his throat or cut the vein by his groin, both meaning death in the end. He could only hope his comrades exceeded where he failed while Sasuke wished the opposite.

Yet the fight in the hall was over before it started. Kakashi was mad, pissed, irate, and beyond rage and he was going to make them pay for what they did to Naruto. He dodged each attack easily while slowly cutting them in the process. With each cut, the attackers flinched and cursed, but Kakashi wanted to see them suffer before they died and he did. The shallow cuts burned and he slowly broke their bones as Naruto had done to him. He knew these men were the ones responsible to Naruto's present state, they had admitted to it almost immediately, laughing about how Naruto cried and screamed like a child.

First their hands were broken, then their knees, next their arms and lastly their necks in the same fashion Kyuubi said Naruto had experienced. Yet unlike Naruto, these two would die from the last break, they wouldn't be able to survive their jugular vein being severed and their neck being snapped, leaving both of them unable move or do anything as they died.

Kakashi was panting as he watched the life's blood of the two ninjas flow beneath them creating a puddle around them. He snorted in disgust and then made his way back to Naruto's room. He took the man from Sasuke and immediately delivered a hard, well placed punch to the man's stomach. The man doubled over, coughing up blood, and then fell unconscious. Kakashi picked him up, slinging the limp body over his shoulder, and started towards the hall once more.

"We're going to go visit Hokage-sama Sasuke, and have a nice long chat."

He nodded, knowing it was his job to watch Naruto as Kakashi tortured the man into telling everything that had happened. He put his weapons away and turned back to his teammate. Naruto was curled into a ball, silent tears tracking down his face and he was trembling even more than before.

"Kuso!" Sasuke practically leapt onto the bed, pulling Naruto's tremulous body on top of his. He laid the blonde's head on his chest, stroking his hair softly as his other hand rubbed his back. Feeling the heat of another, Naruto instinctively wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist and pulled closer, but his tears didn't stop. In the last two weeks he had spent in Naruto's bed, his kinder side had appeared, but only before Naruto and no one else. "Hush….hush… I'm sorry Naruto; I won't leave you again like that, okay?" He said, rocking the smaller boy back and forth. This was the twelfth time he had done this and he knew exactly what to do. "Everything will be better, I promise you that. Even if I must become a missing nin again to give you the life you deserve, I will do it. I promise you that one day you will have a life where people care for you and no one wants to hurt you. Where Kyuubi doesn't matter…where you are no longer living a lie…"

Dhampir   
Page 5  
1/19/2005

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 **Note:** It's a short chapter this time, but the next one should be longer! And I'll be working on editing it as soon as I can. Unfortunately I get to go get a COVID test tomorrow so I can have a short, but totally **not** fun procedure on Monday. Fun stuff!  
  



	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Four_

Warm.

Never before in his life had he felt warm. Not even wrapped in blankets and near a fire had he felt warm, yet that's how he felt now. A soft hand stroked his back and he could feel the even breaths on his face. His head rose and fell with the chest he rested on and he could hear the strong steady heartbeat that began lulling him back to sleep once more. His arms were wrapped around the warm waist and he felt a hand on his arm, a warm hand that was still soft despite the calluses.

The slow stroking continued and Naruto found he didn't want to wake up. Not because he didn't want the villagers glares and insults nor because he didn't want to be a ninja any longer, but because for once he felt loved. He felt as if someone actually loved him despite being a demon and a mess up. He instinctively tightened his grip around the warm body and felt the low chuckle reverberate through his body. The hand on his back pulled him closer and then began stroking his back absently again.

Naruto knew he couldn't pretend to sleep any longer, he wanted to know who was there with him, comforting him and letting him hold him like this. The chuckle told him the person was a man, it was too low for it to be a woman's and Naruto found he was happier that it was a man instead of a woman. A woman wouldn't be able to protect him as a man could, oh there were many skilled kunoichi, but they lacked the physical strength of a man and that's what Naruto needed most right then. He needed to be held in a tight embrace and he needed that strength to keep up his happy façade, though he was tiring quite quickly of it.

He opened his eyes slowly and at first everything was blurry and he couldn't focus because the lights were too bright and his head hurt. He blinked a few times, still not moving in case everything he felt was a dream and he didn't want the dream to end, it was the best dream he had ever had if it was. His dreams usually had shadowy people in it, surrounding him and beating him while they called him demon, monster, murderer and other names.

He stayed still until he could focus on the wall he could see over the flat chest he was laying on. He frowned, it was too quiet for his dreams and there were no people lurking around ready to hurt him. The wall was white and bare and oddly looked like a hospital wall, but he didn't remember entering the hospital. He frowned, glancing down at the dark blue fabric under his head and then back at the wall. The warmth was still there; the body was still there and he was beginning to believe that it really wasn't a dream.

He hesitantly looked upwards, moving only his eyes, and stared at the outline of pale skin and dark hair. Sasuke's eyes were closed and a small smile played on his lips as he continued to stroke Naruto's back. "Sasuke…"

* * *

It had been almost a month and a half since Naruto had stirred from his coma and Sasuke was beginning to worry, though he refused to admit that. He was beginning to believe Naruto would never awaken and it was weighing heavily on him. He kept believing that if maybe he had paid closer attention to the blonde and stopped being cold hearted that he might have seen this coming. He might have been able to stop it if only he had noticed.

The days were getting worse; Sasuke couldn't even leave the blonde's side without him trembling and crying out. Tsunade said that Naruto was still in a coma, but that he was beginning to awaken, just slowly. She was surprised to hear that Kyuubi had spoken to Sasuke and also thankful to see Sasuke still alive. From what Kakashi had said, the demon fox had a soft spot for Naruto and she had believed the fox would've attacked Sasuke for all the pain and insults he put Naruto through. Instead, the fox spoke civilly to the prodigy and told him to continue talking to Naruto, that it calmed the boy.

Sasuke was with Naruto almost every moment of the day, he ate meals in the room now and only left to use the restroom and shower, but even those moments he left the blonde alone sent him into trembling fits and silent tears. Not even Iruka or Kakashi could keep the boy calm and at peace. Sasuke now slept with Naruto every night, not really minding the blonde's hands around his waist or his head on his chest. He often wrapped his hands around Naruto's shoulders or chest as he fell asleep and would awaken in the morning with Naruto sleeping against his stomach.

It was now dusk and Sasuke sat on Naruto's bed propped up on the pillows as Naruto continued to sleep. Immediately after he slipped into the bed, Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's middle and rested his head on Sasuke's chest, just under the collarbone. He sighed, a smile pulling at the corner of his lips, and brushed the locks of golden hair out of his face. In the month and a half since Naruto had been admitted, his hair had grown out to just at his eyes and Sasuke found himself often brushing it aside so he could stare at Naruto's face, looking for any sign that Naruto was awaking.

He had closed his eyes to rest some as the day had been hectic and stress filled. Hinata, Sakura, Ino, Kiba, Lee and Shikamaru had all come to visit Naruto, though Ino, among other nameless girls, had come to see Sasuke more than Naruto. He had spent almost twenty minutes telling them to go away and that no one was allowed to see Naruto without permission from Tsunade before half of them left. Yet Sakura, Ino and Kiba, including the other girls, had stayed. Kiba and Sakura was the only ones actually set on seeing Naruto while the girls continued to ask how Sasuke was and when he was going to come back to the village. Everyone knew that Sasuke was staying with Naruto, though most of them believed it was because he was being ordered to by the Hokage, and most pitied him.

— _ **Flashback—**_

_His patience was beginning to wear thin around them and was trying to once more dissuade them from seeing Naruto when he heard a wracked cry and loud whimper coming from inside the room. "Shit!" He whispered and darted inside to see Naruto once more curled into a tight ball crying loudly and whimpering. Sasuke didn't care who saw him, he gathered the blonde into his arms, sitting him on his lap, and started rocking him back and forth as he mother had done with him. "Hey, hey, I'm sorry I left you." He whispered comfortingly. "Hush…hush…"_

_"Please stop…please…I didn't do anything…" Naruto whispered, clinging to Sasuke's shirt tightly, his body quivering with fear and tears running down his face and soaking Sasuke's shirt._

_"Naruto, it's okay, they're not here anymore. You're safe." He continued, petting Naruto's hair and back as his other arm held the boy close to his own. This hadn't been the first time Naruto had spoken in his sleep; it had started a week ago and usually had Naruto begging for someone to stop. The blonde seemed reluctant to awaken from his self sustained coma and though he was talking and moving, he refused to awaken._

_"Naruto…" Sakura whispered from the door way. The prodigy snapped his gaze towards the onlookers horrified stares. He growled, his body tensing with anger, but stayed where he was, he knew he couldn't leave Naruto again. It angered him that they dared stare at them with mixed emotions, hate towards Naruto and pity towards Sasuke._

_"Get. Out." He demanded through clenched teeth. Kiba was standing in the back of the group, but saw the fragile state Naruto was in. He nodded to Sasuke before pushing his way through the throng of girls and closing the door, giving a smile towards the two boys before ordering everyone to leave._

_Sasuke could hear the groans and complaints through the door, but Kiba and his dog Akamaru stood guard until they all left. He then opened the door to see that Sasuke had set the blonde back down on the bed, but was now lying next to him casually. He entered the room silently, but stayed next to the door._

_"Would it be possible for me to visit him tomorrow?" Kiba whispered._

_Sasuke bit his lip, but nodded. Kiba had kept the girls away and was genuinely there to see Naruto. "I'll tell the Hokage." He whispered as he continued to stroke Naruto's back absently as he had done for over a month now._

_"Thanks." He said, smiling, before leaving again._

_**End of Flashback** _

Sasuke sighed again, Tsunade hadn't exactly been pleased about having someone visit Naruto, but she also knew that Kiba wasn't going to hurt Naruto and so he was clear to visit. Naruto did have friends, if he believed it or not, and people did care about him more than he knew. Kiba had left three hours ago and Naruto had stopped crying almost two hours ago, to Sasuke's relief. His shirt was soaked because of Naruto's silent crying, but he wasn't angered by it, only worried. Naruto cried for almost two hours straight and it had started out as sobs before becoming silent tears trailing down his face.

He chuckled when he felt the blonde tighten his grasp around his waist and pull him closer once more. Naruto had a tight grip when he wanted to and Sasuke already had a couple bruises from where Naruto had clung to him, but he didn't really mind it. He returned to stroking his back when he heard something that startled him out of his thoughts. A weak, quiet, but aware whisper from the boy next to him.

"Sasuke…"

Dhampir  
Page 4  
1/21/2005

* * *

**Note:** Super short chapter! I don't think I ever write chapters this short anymore, but I'm posting it as it was posted before, with only minor adjustments here and there.


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Warnings:** Characters do get out of character, especially Sasuke and Naruto, but there are reasons for that.

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Five_

"Sasuke…"

The prodigy startled at the almost inaudible whisper from the blonde next to him and Sasuke opened his eyes to stare down at vibrant blue eyes staring up at him. "Naruto? Is that you?" He asked, surprise showing in his voice.

He weakly nodded his head, "Where am I?" His voice was quiet and rough from disuse, his body weak and heavy.

"In the hospital." Sasuke answered, still not moving from his spot next to the blonde. It seemed natural now to be next to him after so long; he found he didn't want to move away and Naruto looked as though he also didn't want him to move away. "Do you remember anything?"

"Someone attacked me…a-and people were yelling at me…" He said, tears threatening to fall again.

"Don't worry, they've been punished and well taken care of. The other four men…" He paused, watching Naruto for a reaction, but the blonde just stared up at him. "The other four men," he repeated, "have also been punished. Three of them were killed by Kakashi-sensei while the fourth was taken away for questioning."

Naruto tensed, "T-those four?" His hands gripped Sasuke's shirt even tighter, "What do you know?"

"Only what Kakashi-sensei told me, that they tortured you and left you for dead two miles outside of Konoha." Sasuke answered, watching Naruto as he began to shake again. "You don't have to tell me anything, dobe."

Naruto nodded, not even hearing the normal insult, but still continued to shake.

"Go back to sleep Naruto."

"W-will you still be here?" He asked, afraid of the answer.

Sasuke nodded and began to stroke his back again, "I'll be here." Naruto closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep once more as Sasuke's even breathing lulled him into a deep slumber. Before sleep took him once more, he caught Sasuke's voice beginning to hum a simple tune and he found that he knew it well. As he drifted into a dreamless slumber, Naruto began to hum the tune with him, snuggling closer to the boy than ever before, reassuring himself that Sasuke was indeed there.

Ten minutes later, Kakashi entered the room again with Iruka in his arms. He had been over at the teacher's house most of the day trying to calm the younger man down. It had been hard on Iruka to see the student he saw as a son lay in a comatose state on a hospital bed and with every passing day, the man lost a little hope. It was beginning to seem that Naruto would never awaken and he was starting to lose all hope in Naruto ever jumping up and down, begging for ramen, annoying him to the point of breaking, smiling and laughing as he used to and letting out a yell for the hell of it.

When the two teachers entered, Sasuke immediately beckoned them over to the edge of the bed. He wanted to be sure he was quiet so not to wake Naruto. The thought caused him to grin inwardly, Naruto could awaken again, he'd get up in the morning and talk like he used to. Once the two teachers were right beside him, Sasuke whispered, "He's awake. He's awakened from his coma."

Iruka was the first to actually take in what Sasuke was saying and he immediately grabbed the silver haired ninja and _cried_. Kakashi still had a stunned look on his face before he visibly relaxed and gave Sasuke a relieved smile with his eyes. "We'll go inform the Hokage and get Iruka to calm down once more. It's good to have him with us again." He said quietly before walking back out the door and down the hall to where Tsunade was.

* * *

Sasuke tapped Naruto lightly on the shoulder to wake him up and the blonde immediately sprang up, pushing away from whoever was touching him and blue eyes searching the room until they rested on black. Naruto visibly relaxed when he saw Sasuke was still there next to him as he promised. He searched the room again, going over Tsunade, Kakashi and Iruka all staring at him and smiling.

Naruto didn't know what to say so he said nothing. He just stared at them all before curling up next to Sasuke once more, and actually tightening his grip on the black haired boy, uncertain of why everyone was smiling at him, Sasuke included.

Tsunade was the first to speak, smiling sweetly at the seventeen year old and reaching a hand out to touch his. "Naruto…you're awake."

"Yeah…" Naruto said uncertainly, jerking away from the hand. He didn't want anyone touching him except Sasuke, which he didn't understand, but at the moment he didn't care. All he knew was Sasuke made him feel safe and he was terrified of touch from anyone else.

Tsunade looked hurt, but placed her hand back on her lap and spoke again. "You've been out for nearly a month and a half."

" _Whaaat?_ " Naruto gaped, sitting straight up and letting go of Sasuke's shirt. "But I…that can't be true!" He looked at Sasuke silently, asking if what Tsunade said was true. The Uchiha nodded solemnly, knowing he needed to give Naruto a completely serious answer, and suddenly found his arms full of the blonde bundle.

Naruto unceremoniously dropped back on Sasuke and clung to him as if he was his lifeline. Actually, in Naruto's eyes, Sasuke was his lifeline. Without a second thought, Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto, pulling him closer.

Naruto clung to Sasuke and took a couple minutes to breathe. The thought of him losing two months of his life scared him and he didn't want to think about it, but he had to face it. There was no way to win back those two months and so he there was no reason to get worked up about it, but still, the thought shook him. "H-how… when did this happen? What's today? Why is Sasuke here? What's happened in Konoha since I've been asleep? W-why did this happen? Why was I in a coma?" He was shaking again even though he tried to keep calm. "Sasuke…" He whispered and buried his head into the black haired shinobi's chest. He hated sounding weak, but right now he didn't give a damn, he was weak and he was fragile and he just wanted to be held.

"Calm down Naruto, I'll answer your questions, but take it slow." Tsunade said, taking a seat next to the bed. "What's your last memory?"

"That man stabbed a kunai…a kunai t-through my hand and someone hit me in the back. It really hurt." He whispered hesitantly, not wanting to remember what happened that night…or the night before.

"Actually, someone hit you in the head and caused a serious head injury that had sent you into shock soon after Sasuke brought you to me." Everyone startled at her words, she never spoke of this and all eyes locked on her. "I didn't want to worry everyone by adding that to their worries," she gave a small apologetic smile and then turned back to Naruto. "As you know, Kyuubi used up all his strength last time you were attacked and therefore couldn't help you this time and above that, you lost a lot of blood before this second attack. It left you very weak and close to bleeding to death. Sasuke and Kakashi brought you to me and you've been in a coma ever since. Both Sasuke and Kakashi have been here guarding you and Sasuke hasn't left your side yet." She shot a smile at the Uchiha, "The previous four offenders attacked again and have given away the additional names of those who were in league with them. They have all been taken care of." The last words were spoken coldly and no one dared ask how the shinobi had been dealt with.

"Today is November nineteenth, Naruto, and Sasuke is here because he chose to be. Nothing of great importance has happened in Konoha since you've been in a coma, though there are some new chunin and jounin, but again, nothing of importance. What I really want to talk to you about, Naruto, is your self-induced coma."

"W-what?" He frowned.

"Your coma, the reason you were in a coma is because you put yourself in one. Your wounds have been healed since the third day and your brain activity has been good, actually above average, but you refused to awaken. For a month now you have been moving and talking, but continuing to refuse to wake up. I want to know why, what happened that you would place yourself in a coma?"

Naruto began to tremble and he curled up in Sasuke's grasp, willing the tears and the memories away. Sasuke glared openly at the Hokage for causing this sudden change in Naruto's behavior soon after he had awakened. "Will you all please leave?" He asked, but everyone caught the growl behind it. Tsunade looked shocked that a chunin would speak to in such a way, but then remembered this was Uchiha Sasuke before her and not just some normal chunin and left with Kakashi and Iruka trailing after her. Sasuke sighed and pulled Naruto closer, setting his head on the blonde's. "Naruto, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to, I understand painful memories. It's up to you if you want to talk about it or not."

"Sasuke?" He waited for Sasuke to look down at him before continuing, "Why are you with me? I'm…a monster, I'm _dirty, soiled_ a-and _impure_. I am unworthy of your attention and concern, so why me?"

Sasuke tightened his grip around the blonde, angry at every insult Naruto aimed at himself. "You are not dirty, Naruto, and you're important to me, of course I care what happens to you!" His anger quelled when he felt the blonde flinch at his dangerous tone and he sighed, loosening his grip. "Naruto, I told you about my quest to kill Itachi. I refused to talk with anyone about it and became so pent up with anger, hatred and fear that all I saw was Itachi. My life was consumed with Itachi and I couldn't see anything else except Itachi."

"Fear?"

"Yes, fear." He whispered, "I feared that Itachi would use anyone I acknowledged as a friend against me somehow and I feared that Itachi would return to kill me so he really could say he murdered the entire Uchiha clan. I was so consumed by Itachi that I didn't even notice the friends in front of me nor the ones becoming close to me." He rubbed the blonde's shoulder lightly, "You were the first person I ever told about Itachi and what I was striving to do. Yet…you stopped me from killing Itachi when I had the chance. Do you remember that?"

Naruto nodded.

_**Flashback** _

_"Sasuke stop!" Naruto yelled, staring down at the two Uchiha brothers from his perch on a tree. "You can't kill him!"_

_Sasuke, battered, bloody and half dead stood over an unconscious Itachi. "My life has been waiting for this exact moment, nothing will take it away." He growled, pulling out a kunai from his holster._

_"You can't kill him!" Naruto insisted, now beside Sasuke. "If you kill him, then you'll be completing his mission, Sasuke. He killed the entire Uchiha clan and left only two alive, you and himself. If you kill him, then you really will be the last Uchiha and you'll be fulfilling what he started. You can't do that!"_

_“What has my life been for if not for this Naruto?" He yelled, trying to bring the kunai down on Itachi._

_"And what will your life be after this Sasuke?" Naruto said in a calm, quiet voice. "You beat him, that's all you need to do to prove that you are stronger than him. How will killing your brother avenge your clan? He is your clan!"_

_The kunai stilled and Sasuke growled, "He is not my brother."_

_"But he is an Uchiha and he is the only family you have left, despite what you think or say." Naruto whispered, seeing Sasuke's resolve breaking. The kunai began to drop slowly from his hand. "You will be him if you kill him, Sasuke, and I don't want that. I want you, I want the bastard who's always insulting me and fighting me. I want the Sasuke who's so cold barely anyone can reach his heart, but more than that Sasuke, I want the Sasuke that I've seen hidden behind your cold appearance." Sasuke froze, "I want the Sasuke I've seen lying behind those dark eyes that betray nothing. The one who smiles and laughs at me even though on the outside, you're scowling, the one who can actually joke around, the one I've seen hidden behind your mask, I want the real Sasuke. The real Sasuke that you've been hiding all your life." A hand fell on his shoulder lightly and he felt the kunai drop from his hand. "If you kill him, that Sasuke will disappear forever and I'll never get to know him and that would be a shame because I know that Sasuke has it in him to become the best shinobi in history."_

_"When did you become so wise dobe…?" Sasuke asked, collapsing into the blonde's arms as the blackening skies engulfed him in cold silence._

**_End Flashback_ **

Sasuke never admitted that what the blonde had said to him that day had saved him from the same life Itachi had suffered. Itachi was still alive today and from what he had last heard, his brother had quit the Akatsuki and taken residence somewhere in the Water Country. He also heard that Itachi had married and now had two children of his own. Sasuke made it his new goal to one day visit them and see his two nephews or nieces.

Now looking down at the trembling blonde, Sasuke felt he needed to tell Naruto what he words meant to him and how Naruto had saved him. "Naruto…because of you, I'm not left to live a secluded and painfully cold life as Itachi had for all these years and because of you, I've opened up to people. I've shown emotion…not much…but still, small smiles and I talk more. You don't really know what you did for me that day Naruto, but you saved me from myself and introduced me to a life I had refused myself for nine years."

A long silence stretched between them before Naruto took a shaky breath. "T-t-they…" His grip tightened and he tried to curl into an even smaller ball. His body began to shake once more and Sasuke rubbed his back and arms soothingly.

"You don't have to say anything Naruto."

"N-no…I have to." He whispered and buried his head into Sasuke, choking out, "They raped me. They raped me Sasuke, over and over. T-they wouldn't stop and I couldn't do anything! I couldn't do anything…" He began to sob as Sasuke stared down at the blonde in shock, his mouth slightly ajar in horror and anger.

"How… _how dare they!_ " He growled and shifted Naruto so he could hold the crying blonde better.

"Don't leave me Sasuke, please! I know I'm weak and dirty, but please… don't leave me!" He cried, tightening his grip on Sasuke's shirt.

"I'm not going to leave you Naruto, and you're not weak or dirty, but I am going to kill those men. Every last one of them in the most painful way I know." He pushed away his rage and focused on the blonde next to him.

The sobs paused and crystalline eyes blinked back tears. "Y-you don't find me revolting?"

"Never." He whispered and began to quietly sing the boy to sleep as he had done on previous nights. "Just relax, I'll make everything better, I promise."

Once Naruto was asleep, Sasuke slipped out of his fearful grasp and winced when he heard the blonde whimper at the loss. He petted the blonde spikes tenderly, "I'll be back soon." He said and fled down the hall, he passed Kakashi on the way and a single glance had Kakashi heading back to the room and Sasuke heading towards the Hokage's room. He slammed open the doors, not caring about introductions or the two Anbu now flanking him.

"Sasuke?" Tsunade gaped from her desk. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I request leave from Konoha." He said, Sharingan spinning and his arms clenched at his sides. "And I'm taking Naruto with me."

Dhampir   
Page 6   
1/22/2005

* * *

 **Note:** Ugh...I'm just trying to go through and fix any errors I see, but some of my writing makes my skin crawl with how terrible it sounds! I'm trying not to change much though, so it will just have to irk me. Hopefully it doesn't bother any of you!


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.  
 **Warnings:** Rape, OOC, eventual Sasu-Naru.

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Six_

" _What?_ " Tsunade yelled, standing up, her face red with anger. "You can't just take Naruto with you! You betrayed him once, why do you think I'd let you take him again?" A flick of her wrist sent the two Anbu from her office and they closed the doors before standing guard again.

"I've spent the last month with Naruto and he's still alive." He growled.

"Of course you can't kill him now, but once you're outside of our jurisdiction you can do whatever the hell you want to him and in his state, killing him would be easy. No, I refuse this!"

" _Naruto was raped!_ " He yelled before she could continue. "Naruto was _raped_ and I will _not_ stand by in this demented village and let this happen to him again. I'm taking him even if it's a long termed mission."

"Naruto was…raped?" She whispered, falling back into her chair. "How do you know this?"

"He told me. I got him to go back to sleep, he cried himself to sleep, and then came here to see you. I want to get him out of the village."

"Why Sasuke? Why do you want to do this?"

The silence stretched unbearably before the Uchiha finally answered sincerely, "Because I want him to have a normal life, one where people don't stare at him as if he's a monster and where he can live in peace without hateful glares or assassination attempts."

"I'm—"

"Sasuke! Naruto woke up and he's asking for you…well, actually screaming for you." Kakashi said, smiling at the boy as Sasuke rushed out of the room to Naruto's side. "Hokage-sama, let Sasuke take Naruto."

"Are you insane?" She hissed, standing up to stand in front of the jounin. "Sasuke tried to kill Naruto last time they were alone!"

"Hokage-sama, if Sasuke had any intent to kill Naruto he would've done it the morning of the festival. They were both alone and no one could've disturbed them if they had decided to fight. From what Sasuke told me, Naruto at that moment couldn't care less if he lived or died, but instead of killing him, Sasuke comforted him."

"You watched them, didn't you?"

He smiled, "Maybe."

"So, you believe Sasuke really does care for Naruto then?"

"Yes. Also, Sasuke swore that he would take Naruto away from all of this even if it meant he had to become a missing-nin. That right there should tell you how deeply Sasuke cares for Naruto."

"If Kyuubi can change, why not Sasuke?" She whispered. "I'll think about it…"

"Then I'll be returning to my students."

"Kakashi…" Tsunade called out, uncertain of how to say this, "He was raped; Sasuke said that he was raped by those men."

Kakashi stopped cold, his body rigid, "Where the hell is the last one?" He asked, his voice icy and demanding. He didn't turn, but Tsunade knew she'd see the hate and anger raging in his eyes. "Where is he?"

She was silent for a minute, knowing what she said would either kill that man or leave him free of any punishment. "He's…" she paused again, she also wanted to kill them, but she knew she couldn't. "He's with Genma."

"He's dead now." He growled and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Tsunade ran a hand through her hair, "Naruto…I'm so sorry." She sat back down at her desk and began to work out the passports for the two boys, who held the titles of the strongest chunin in the village. People would wonder and some would be angered by the prospect of their upcoming stars leaving so suddenly, but right now she cared more about Naruto's health and mental stability than Konoha's happiness.

Sasuke once again gathered the blonde crying bundle into his arms and began rocking Naruto back and forth, soothing him. He had to admit, he was starting to tire of the repeating episodes, but he also knew what Naruto had gone through and he silently wondered if he'd be the same way if this had happened to him instead of Naruto. "Why are you crying?"

"I thought you left me…" He whispered, clutching Sasuke tightly.

"No, no, I just stepped out to ask Hokage-sama a favor."

"So you didn't leave because….because I was…I was…"

"Violated? No!" Sasuke said, wrapping one arm under Naruto's feet and the other around his shoulders. Slowly, he picked the blonde up and started towards the hall.

"W-where are we going?"

"I thought you might want to go outside and we could talk under the sun and sky." Sasuke smirked. He suddenly stopped, tracking back to the bed to grab two blankets and then started back towards the hall. "Don't you want to go outside?"

"Y-yeah."

Sasuke stopped in the hall and stared down at the blonde. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just…scared." He whispered, clinging to Sasuke again.

"Scared? Why?"

"Because what if they _know_? I-I don't want them to know…"

"Naruto, do you really think they think so lowly of you? Kiba has been here almost every day trying to visit you along with Lee, Neji, Choji and the others. Kiba is going to visit you today—"

"No! Please Sasuke, don't let him see me." He cried.

"Naruto, it'll be okay!" Sasuke reassured him and began walking again. "Kiba really wants to see you and he won't see you as a monster because you're not."

The blonde calmed down and leaned into Sasuke, "You promise?"

"I promise."

Sasuke brought Naruto outside and sat him down on one of the open benches outside of the hospital. Sasuke wrapped one blanket around his shoulders and then set the other one over his legs, tucking it tightly in around his arms and legs. The weather was rather cold and even though Naruto was in flannel pajamas and had two blankets around him, he was still shivering.

Sasuke pulled him closer and rubbed his arms through the blankets. "Are you really this cold, dobe?"

"Don't call me that!" He hissed and suddenly Sasuke was laughing. Naruto gaped at him, Sasuke _didn't_ laugh. Sasuke laughing meant the world was ending. "Sasuke?"

"That's the first thing you've said with your old conviction." He said, still laughing. "It's good to hear you say that, dobe!"

"I said don't call me that teme!" Naruto hissed again.

"And what are _you_ going to do about it?"

Naruto took a swing at Sasuke, forgetting the blankets as they fell to the ground in a heap. "What do you think?"

Sasuke dodged the attacks easily, but refused to attack back; knowing Naruto had just woken up from a month and a half slumber. Yet though he was slower and weaker, he didn't show problems of walking or breathing. Other than the loss of strength and speed, Naruto seemed fine. _Must be Kyuubi_ … Both boys were grinning when Kiba arrived at that hospital and he cocked his head as the two collapsed back on the bench, laughing.

"Well, I never thought I'd see the day that Uchiha is laughing with Uzumaki." Kiba laughed as he approached him. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at Naruto, "How ya doing?"

"Pretty good!" Naruto laughed.

"Everyone was starting to worry, it was getting too quiet in Konoha."

The blonde's eyes sparkled, "Really?"

"Yeah! Geez Naruto, what did you think, you had no friends?" Kiba asked, grabbing Naruto in a head lock as he sat down next to the blonde.

"W-well…" Naruto moved away slowly, hoping to put some distance between him and Kiba without alerting anyone.

"Stop being a dunce Naruto! People were really worried. It doesn't go unnoticed when the loudmouth of the village disappears you know."

"Kiba," Sasuke deadpanned, he didn't even hint that he had seen Naruto's movements, "he just woke up today, please don't break him so soon."

The dog man grinned, "Scared are we?"

" _No_ , but I don't feel like having him readmitted into the hospital when he just got out." He shrugged, but his eyes sparked with hidden emotions.

Naruto looked curiously at him, "I've been released? Already?"

"Hn."

"So…I can go home?"

Sasuke was silent for a long time before nodding hesitantly.

"Can we go now?" The blonde asked, jumping up, "Please?"

"No, not yet. Hokage-sama wants to talk with you as well as Kiba and I'm certain Iruka-sensei wants to speak with you also."

Kiba gaped, "He spoke a full sentence…No! He spoke _two_ full sentences! This day really is full of surprises."

Sasuke glared at him, a glare that told him to shut up before another surprise connected with his face and found _him_ on a hospital bed. Kiba took the hint and fell silent as Sasuke stood, shoving his hands in his pockets, and walked inside.

Naruto sat down, pouting, and wrapped the blankets around his body, cold again. He grinned at Kiba, trying to hold together his long created mask. "So, what's been happening?"

For the next two hours, Kiba told Naruto everything that had happened in Konoha since the day of the festival. The main news was twelve shinobi had mysteriously disappeared, eight being jounin, and that not a trace had been found of any of them. Also, to Naruto's surprise, Kiba was now dating Hinata and had been for the past month. The dog man also said that Neji and Tenten were becoming closer along with Shikamaru and Ino, though she still chased Sasuke every chance she got.

Naruto really was surprised by the pairings, not even his hidden self had seen this coming. He knew Hinata had liked him, but he couldn't return the feelings, and he did feel terrible for acting like a dunce and ignoring her like he did, but he couldn't love her as she wanted him to. Yet he never thought Kiba and Hinata would start dating nor did he see Neji and Tenten's relationship. In all honesty, he thought the cold hearted bastard would never let anyone get near, but then again, that's what he thought of Sasuke too.

"Naruto!" Someone yelled and the blonde found himself in a tight hug. "What are you doing out here in the cold? You just woke up from your coma! I'll kill Sasuke if you get sick! Where is he?" Blue eyes looked up at chestnut and Naruto grinned before launching his body at Iruka. " _Naruto!_ " He yelled as he hit the ground with the blonde straddling his waist.

"You missed me?" He asked, grinning down at his old sensei.

Tears came uncalled for and Iruka hugged Naruto close to his body, barely noticing how Naruto began to tremble. "I thought I lost you! _Never_ scare me like that again, do you understand me? Never!"

"I'm sorry Iruka-sensei, I didn't mean to worry you." He whispered, lying in the older man's arms, his hands bunched with Iruka's vest and his head on the man's chest. "I didn't mean to make you sad." He closed his eyes and kept chanting to himself that this was Iruka, his friend, the man he saw as family and he would never hurt him, but it didn't do much for his fears.

Iruka sighed and rubbed Naruto's back soothingly, "Even at seventeen, you're still jumping on me. Don't you think you're a little too old?"

He shook his head, not trusting himself to speak and breathed deeply of Iruka's scent.

The man chuckled, "I did miss you Naruto, I didn't think you'd ever come back to me."

"I'm sorry Iruka-sensei." He sat up to let the teacher stand, but still clung to his arm. Kiba grabbed Naruto's blankets and together, the three of them walked back inside.

He was greeted at the door by Tsunade, Kakashi and Sasuke and he tilted his head in confusion, "Hi?"

Tsunade smiled softly and rubbed his hair though Naruto stood just under her in height. "Hey brat, how are you feeling?"

He grinned, his mask firmly in place, and laughed, "I'm fine, Tsunade-baba."

She smacked him lightly on the head, "Be thankful you just woke up." She growled, but she continued to smile. "Naruto, how do you really feel?"

"Good!"

"Anything different?" She asked, looking at his eyes, mouth and checking his pulse and glands.

"Well, I'm slower and I tire faster, but nothing else." He smiled, but under her hands he was shaking.

"Why are you shaking?" She asked.

Naruto froze, "I-I-I…I'm just cold! That's all!"

She narrowed her eyes, but let it slide. "When do you think you can start training again?"

"Now!" He said enthusiastically, even though he silently wished he had lied. He could use the break from his present life.

"Oh? Are you implying you're ready for another mission, Naruto?" She teased.

He froze. He didn't want another mission, he never wanted another mission ever again, but he couldn't say that. His 'personality' refused his wish to give up on being a ninja. "Hell yeah!" Naruto yelled, jumping before cringing with pain. "Well, maybe in a week…"

"I'm glad to hear that because at the end of the week, you're leaving on a new mission."

" _What!?_ " Naruto, Iruka and Kiba cried out.

"Hokage-sama, please reconsider!" Iruka said, "Naruto just woke up from a two month coma!"

"It was only six weeks Iruka, don't exaggerate, and I will not reconsider."

"B-but Hokage-sama…" The teacher tried again.

"Iruka, it won't be like you'll never see him again and to make certain of that, I'm sending Sasuke with him."

Kiba and Naruto looked at Sasuke, who sat with a smug look upon his face and a smirk on his lips, while Iruka glared at Kakashi for not taking his side. Kakashi only shrugged and then decided it best to stare elsewhere and not attract even more hatred towards him.

"Sasuke...you're coming with me?" Naruto asked cautiously.

He smirked, "Of course dobe, do you really think we would trust _you_ with a mission on your own?"

"Sasuke!" The prodigy was expecting Naruto to yell, to insult him or even attack him, but he wasn't expecting the blonde to tackle him to the ground in a hug. Yet that's exactly what Naruto had done.

"Itai…" He whispered when his head hit the ground. Arms encircled his waist tightly and he opened his eyes to stare into Naruto's. Blue eyes stared down at him as Naruto grinned happily. "Dobe." He growled in warning, but Naruto didn't move.

"You're really coming? You mean it?" The blonde asked with honest enthusiasm, but Sasuke saw the real question behind Naruto's seemingly innocent ones: _I don't have to go alone? I'm not alone?_

He nodded slowly and painfully, "But only if you get off of me now."

Naruto immediately jumped off of the Uchiha, blushing furiously, and then collapsed on the ground. "I'm tired, I wanna sleep." He whispered, but everyone chuckled at the complaining tone in his voice. Yet everyone, except Kakashi, was surprised when Sasuke knelt next to the blonde and picked him up in his arms.

"Then go to sleep dobe." He said, walking back into the hospital. He had to collect both their things and then set up a room for Naruto to sleep in at his house. He wasn't about to leave the blonde idiot alone after this escapade and had decided almost a month ago that when Naruto came out of his coma, the blonde would live with him.

Naruto snuggled against Sasuke's shoulder, pressing his nose and cheek firmly against Sasuke's chest, and whispered sleepily. "You promese to be tere wen I'ma wake?"

Sasuke snorted at his slurred words, but shifted the blonde boy in his hands and whispered back, "I promise."

The prodigy growled as he and Iruka walked through town towards his house, Naruto still sleeping in his arms. Iruka had volunteered to carry both their belongings if Sasuke continued to carry Naruto. He refused to admit it, but he wouldn't put the blonde dobe down for anything, not even if Itachi walked into town suddenly.

There were too many people were watching them with such blatant hatred being directed towards them and it was beginning to infuriate Sasuke. He gave a low growl when one man stepped towards him, but Iruka was already in front of them with weapons drawn.

"I hope your intentions are good, sir, because you're not coming any closer without a kunai in your heart." Iruka hissed. Almost everyone who knew the passive school teacher was taken back, the brunette _never_ threatened anyone, but now he was threatening to kill someone without hesitation.

 _Naruto really must mean a lot to him…_ Sasuke thought, watching warily as the man backed away and Iruka fell back into place next to the two young men. They began walking again and to Sasuke's surprise, people were actually backing away from the trio, giving them more than enough room to walk without feeling threatened.

Iruka stopped, confused, when Sasuke passed by the road to Naruto's apartment and instead continued down the long empty street that led to his house. "Sasuke-kun, where are you going?" Iruka asked, still standing at the crossroads.

The Uchiha looked over his shoulder, slowing a fraction, and snorted. "To my house, Naruto's staying with me until we leave on our mission."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want him alone any time soon." He whispered after a long silence.

Iruka smiled softly and began walking again, but stopped to place a hand on the dark boy's shoulder. "Thank you for caring about him, Sasuke-kun, I don't think I've ever seen him this unguarded before."

"You really think so?" He asked, staring down at the sleeping blonde. One hand clung to Sasuke's shirt, holding it tightly, while the other hand lay casually across his stomach. His head lay against his chest and shoulder and his face was so peaceful, his soft breathing and unruly hair made him look like a fox kit, though he knew that was because of the Kyuubi. Yet Sasuke wondered how long it had been since someone had gained the blonde's trust to where he dropped his guard completely.

"Naruto is an enigma, just as you are, and he's so good at deceiving others that barely anyone even knew something was wrong. Yet when he's around you, he's more himself than around anyone else, even me. Naruto sees you as his genuine friend, Sasuke, and I think above all else, he's afraid of losing you."

"But he has plenty of friends." He said, furrowing his brow.

"True, but how many of them has he dropped his mask around?"

"I'm the only one, aren't I?"

"Yes, you are."

Nothing more was said, nothing more had to be said and the rest of the walk was in peaceful silence.

The Uchiha Mansion was just that, a great mansion with seven bedrooms, a large kitchen, two bathrooms, a living room, a dining room and a training room. The four hundred acres of land left to the young heir covered meadow, forest, rock and river and gave Sasuke the chance to train in different sceneries. There were also fifteen other small houses on the property that could house the entire Uchiha clan, though they lacked the training room and only had four rooms instead of seven, those were the only differences.

Iruka opened the door and let Sasuke and Naruto step through before shutting the door quietly and following the Uchiha prodigy through large house. Dusk was already upon them as Sasuke carefully laid the blonde down on a large bed in the guest room across from his own room. He slowly removed Naruto's fist from his shirt and smirked when the blonde frowned at the lost heat, but he was soon replaced by a pillow as Naruto curled up next to it.

Iruka placed both bags down next to Naruto's bed and then excused himself to head home. Sasuke hesitantly showed the teacher out, not wanting to leave the blonde alone for too long and risk him waking up. Once Iruka was gone, Sasuke returned to Naruto's room and tucked him in, brushing back his hair lightly. He glanced at his room and then back at Naruto, he was finally getting his own room and bed back after almost two months with the blonde, he should feel relieved.

Yet as he slowly closed the door to Naruto's room and began undressing for the night, he didn't feel relieved. He slipped into the bed naked and leaned back into the many pillows. Even as he pulled the covers up, it just felt… _wrong_ , after so long of sleeping on a small twin hospital bed with Naruto's body against his, the large soft bed without the blonde felt wrong.

He groaned, _stop thinking_ _about him! You finally get your own bed and room, be thankful_. He ran a hand through his hair, even as his refused to listen to his other thoughts telling him he wasn't thankful or relieved, and then let his arm lay over his eyes. He let out a soft sigh as his body urged for him to rest and began to drift to sleep. The day had been tiring and the bed was much more comfortable than the hospital bed, though having a warm body next to him made him feel more secure and even loved. He chuckled lightly at his thoughts and fell into a peaceful slumber, pressing into the pillow.

Dhampir  
Page 8  
1/27/2005

* * *

 **Note:** I got through editing two chapters this week, woo hoo! Things will start picking up now ^_^


	7. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them. 

**Warnings:** Rape, OOC and Sasu-Naru.

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Seven_

Naruto awoke bleary-eyed and tired. He had been tossing about all night trying to get comfortable, but though the bed was soft and warm, he felt cold and alone and he couldn't relax. "Sasukeee…" He mewled, pitifully groping for the Uchiha. Not even half awake, he searched the bed tiredly for his companion, but to no avail, and mewled again, "Sasuke?"

Leaning further in search of the boy, he tumbled off the bedside in a heap of blankets and let out a soft surprised yelp. After a couple minutes of fighting tiredly with the bedding, Naruto stood up on wobbly felt and stumbled towards the door. Sasuke's distinct scent reached his nostrils and too tired to contemplate on why he could smell the boy, he fumbled with the door and looked out into the hall.

He breathed deep of the scent of wind and wood and stared into the room across from his. The door was open and the scent was stronger through there. Squinting at the pale figure asleep in the bed, Naruto tiredly walked to the bedside, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He hoisted his lithe body onto the bed clumsily and crawled over to Sasuke's sleeping form.

He immediately melded into Sasuke's body, his head resting on the pale chest and his knees curled up against Sasuke's thigh as his hands gripped the sheets lying around Sasuke's torso. He breathed in Sasuke's scent again and snuggled closer, feeling at once more comfortable and warm. The dark boy always made him feel safe and in his current state of mind, he decided a Sasuke pillow was much more comfortable than any pillow in his room. He let out a content sigh that almost sounded like a name, "Sasuke."

Obsidian eyes opened at the whisper of his name and he immediately noticed the difference in his bed. Something was against his right side, something warm, small and alive. Sasuke finally looked down at the bundle next to him and his eyes widened in surprise at seeing Naruto curled up next to him, sleeping peacefully. He shifted to look at the time and heard the protesting whimper as Naruto pushed closer to him, not wanting to lose his pillow.

Sasuke let out a groan, it was four in the morning and he was now wide awake. He doubted he would be able to sleep again after finding Naruto in his bed sleeping next to him as if it were natural. The squirming blonde settled again once Sasuke leaned back into the bed and he gave an exasperated sigh, muttering as he pulled Naruto up to rest on his shoulder, but a smile graced his lips.

Immediately, Naruto's arms left the blankets and wrapped around Sasuke and his head settled under Sasuke's chin.

"Naruto." He growled, but the blonde didn't hear him and Sasuke knew he wasn't getting away from him. Instead he wrapped an arm loosely his shoulders and tried to get comfortable. Naruto let out another protesting whimper, thinking Sasuke was trying to leave, and tightened his grip. "I'm not going anywhere, dobe." He muttered and rubbed the blonde's shoulder soothingly, reassuring him of his presence.

He stared out the window, not really thinking of anything in particular, and watched as the stars and moon faded and the sun shed light on everything before it. His thoughts turned back to Naruto as the sun continued to rise, and he stole a glance at the boy, yet that glance lengthened into a stare. He was surprised to see that though Naruto's breathing was relaxed and slow, a frown could be seen upon his face and he was moving more into Sasuke's embrace. For the last hour, Sasuke had noticed the blonde's slow tightening grip and he knew there would be bruises all across his waist in the morning. _Who knew the dobe could have so much strength?_ He smirked and then gasped when Naruto once more held him tighter, though now he was burying his fingernails into his flesh as well as suffocating him.

Sasuke found it disturbing that the blonde boy was obviously experiencing a violent nightmare, but even more disturbing for him was that the blonde _was_ having a nightmare. It never occurred to him that Naruto, a being made of joy and innocence, could have nightmares. Yet once more, he was uneasy with his own emotions welling inside him. He was concerned for Naruto, he was concerned with the demons he fought in his dreams and even more concerned because he knew there was nothing he could do to help Naruto. He couldn't enter his dreams and fight by his side, comfort him, hold him like he had been on the outside and it pained him. It pained him to see Naruto in such distress that he would whimper and moan and sometimes even cry in his sleep.

Ignoring the restricting grip, Sasuke looked back outside and tried to take his mind off of the blonde, but as he watched the sun continue to rise in the east, he found his thoughts wandering back to Naruto. _He really is made of sunlight_ , he chuckled. Naruto, if he knew it or not, shed light upon all who saw him and he was a constant in everyone's lives, always there and always cheerful. He lit up anyone's day, even if they refused to admit it as Sasuke had, and one of his smiles had whoever received it smiling for days after. His smiles, his energy, his radiance, his essence was an addiction and once caught, it spread like wildfire.

Absentmindedly, Sasuke began to stroke Naruto's shoulder and then his arm and then his hair. Petting him like he was some dog, but the purr erupting from Naruto's lips in a soft whisper had Sasuke keeping his hand there. He teased the back of his neck ever so slightly, just letting his fingertips brush against the nape of his neck and then moved two of his fingers down his spine. Everywhere his fingers danced, Naruto responded with a groan, purr or moan and his skin became taunt as his fingers ran back up again.

He looked at the blonde again and was pleased to see the frown had disappeared from Naruto's lips and was replaced by a light smile. Sasuke smiled back down at him and then returned his gaze to the open window. He wouldn't want the chunin to freeze, right? He pulled the blonde closer and then draped a loose blanket over both of them to keep them warm.

Sasuke continued to stare out the window, watching the sun rise and the people of Konoha awaken to start the day. Not many people traveled passed his house, but travelers from other villages would pass by and in the early morning hours, vendors and other merchants passed his house regularly. He watched them with some curiosity, but for the most part found it boring and trying. Already the clock next to him showed seven a.m. and usually he was already up and training, or at least warming up.

Instead, he was still lounging in bed with bruises and other marks across his skin from Naruto's insistent grip and nails. Yet he found he didn't really mind as long as he could continue holding Naruto next to him and keep him relaxed. He didn't need the blonde dobe hurting himself even more than he already was and he really didn't need the headache that was certain to follow.

* * *

"I never thought that Uchiha Sasuke would take advantage of a sick and injured boy!" A cheerful voice said. "Yo."

Sasuke looked across the room to where his former sensei perched on the window frame. He narrowed his eyes and snapped, " _He_ came into _my_ room and got into _my_ bed after _I_ was already asleep."

His eyes crinkled and he cocked his head, "Oh?"

"If anyone's being taken advantage of, it's me. I'm slowly being squeezed to death." He sighed and tried to shift some, but winced when tan arms contracted and a small whimper could be heard. Sasuke muttered something in reply, but looked over at his silver haired companion. "What are you doing here, Kakashi-sensei?"

He acted hurt, but was grinning underneath his mask. "I can't check up on my team? I'm hurt, _Sasu-chan!_ " The dark glare he received from the young chunin was more rewarding than he had thought. "What's wrong with wanting to make sure you two were okay?"

"Ever heard of a door?" Sasuke asked dryly.

"A what?"

"Precisely." He sighed, "Naruto, let go." He whispered, but the blonde ignored him. He slowly pried Naruto's fingers apart and attached his right hand to the blankets while he slid out of the bed. Naruto groped after him, his face confused and protesting, but Sasuke shoved his pillow next to the blonde and watched as he snuggled up next to it. "I can't do this for a week." He grimaced, wincing at the throbbing bruises on his chest.

"Is there something going on here that I should know about?" Kakashi asked and Sasuke swore he could _feel_ the grin behind the mask.

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "No, why?"

"Because one, Naruto and you are in the same room and even more so in the same bed, and two, you're naked."

Sasuke felt his face turn red with anger and embarrassment. "Get. Out. Of. My. Room." He growled through clenched teeth. _No decency, no idea of courtesy for anyone, not even people in their_ own _homes_.

"But this is fun!"

"Pervert." He muttered as he pulled a sheet off the bed and wrapped it around his waist. Hell if he was going to give Kakashi the satisfaction of seeing him naked. "Again, Kakashi-sensei, why are you here? I know it's not for you to check up on us." He asked as he pulled up a pair of boxers before dropping the sheet. He then slowly walked over to his closet and pulled out his normal uniform for the day. Dark navy blue like his genin uniform, but with black shorts or pants and a chunin vest. He strapped his holster into place and then carefully wrapped his shins and forearms as he had done every morning. Yet the only difference was the increasing discomfort of so many bruises along his chest rubbing against the fabric of his vest.

"Damn Naruto, do you have to have a dead lock for a grip?" He muttered under his breath.

"So, I see you two haven't killed each other yet." Kakashi said, now sitting next to the blonde. Sasuke first noticed that Kakashi had pulled up his head protector and was now looking at Naruto with both eyes and he was about to say something to get him away from Naruto, but then he noticed Kakashi was holding his hand gently.

"No, we haven't." Sasuke answered in the same soft, serious tone.

"Hokage-sama sent me here because she wants to speak with you and Naruto about your mission, but I'm warning you Sasuke, this won't be easy even if it's just a cover up. You'll both be given the rank of jounin…"

Sasuke startled, his mouth slightly open when he heard those words. "Jounin? We'll be given jounin status without taking the exams?"

He sighed, "Yes. By skill and knowledge, both of you are already skilled enough to be seen as higher jounin, not elite, but definitely above average and the only reason you haven't been given jounin rank is because…" He paused and rubbed the blonde spikes affectionately. "You would've been given jounin rank two years ago Sasuke, if I hadn't asked them not to. Actually they were thinking about it three years ago when you first returned, after you killed Itachi, they pushed for you to be promoted to jounin."

"They would make me a jounin at the age of fifteen?" He asked in awe before suddenly getting angry, "Why did you stop them?"

"Because I knew you didn't have enough experience at the age of fifteen no matter how great a genius you may be and also because…they wouldn't let Naruto join the ranks of jounin even though you two are almost evenly matched. I told them that if you became a jounin, then Naruto should also be given the rank that fits his power, but the villagers and elders wouldn't hear of it." His hand bunched into a fist on his knee as he continued to stare at Naruto, "They were never going to let him become a jounin, Sasuke, never."

"All because of the Kyuubi?" Sasuke asked, anger laced through his voice.

"Yes, all because they can't see past the demon inside him."

"He's notta demon." A mumbled voice growled and the two men both looked down at the blonde bundle now pushing away the blankets.

Kakashi removed his hand, "Naruto?"

"Don't call him a demon, he's not a demon." Clear blue eyes opened and scanned the room with mild alarm. "W-where am I? This isn't the hospital."

"Yo!" He greeted before informing him, a little too cheerfully, "You're in Sasuke's house, more specifically his room."

Naruto frowned, remembering snippets of his dream, or what he had thought to be a dream, and then looked at Sasuke. "I'm sorry."

Both men stared at the blonde, Naruto apologizing was about as rare as getting Sasuke to even think about smiling. "What for?" Sasuke finally asked.

"I thought it was just a dream, so I ignored you…at least what I remember you saying." He threw back the covers and began to slide out of the bed, but Kakashi pushed him back down.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I just want to get up." He lied. In reality, he wanted to get away from them; he didn't want to be near anyone even if in his sleep hazed moments all he wanted was to be near someone. Even Kakashi's light touch caused him to flinch and he wondered how he had dealt with lying next to Sasuke all night long. Or how Sasuke did…

"No. You're still healing and the Kyuubi doesn't even have close to the amount of chakra he needs to keep you healthy. You'll only hurt yourself and Kyuubi more by moving around so suddenly."

"But—"

"No." Kakashi ordered, "Stay in bed."

"Dobe, I agree." Sasuke said, "It's better to be on the safe side than have you in the hospital again."

Naruto sighed, he wanted to stay in bed forever, but he couldn't stay around them. Yet he firmly put his mask back in place and cocked his head expectantly. "Will you get me ramen?"

Kakashi pulled his head protector back over his left eye as he stood up. "Hai." He whispered and then disappeared.

"He shouldn't have done that." Naruto whispered, staring out the window.

"Done what, dobe?"

"Refuse to let you become a jounin. You deserve it."

Sasuke stared at the broken blonde and then said, "So do you."

He shrugged, "It no longer matters."

"Why?"

"Because I gave up on my dreams long ago…years ago. I knew they would never let me succeed the rank of jounin and there was never a chance for me to be Hokage." He looked over at his rival and friend, "A dream is just a dream. It's something that is unattainable and one can only wish for. Why have dreams if they can never be reached?"

"Dreams can be attained. Doing the impossible is what life is about."

Tears began to well up in his azure eyes, "You must hate me so much."

"What? Why?" Sasuke asked, surprised by the sudden change in emotions. He slowly sat down at Naruto's feet and watched the blonde curiously.

"Because of me you're not a jounin. You'd have been a jounin long ago and probably be a captain in the Anbu if…if not for me."

"Naruto, that's not true."

"But they'll never make me a jounin and Kakashi-sensei refuses to let you be a jounin without me…" Tears ran down his face unchecked and he was trembling, waiting for Sasuke to push him away and curse him for doing this to him.

Yet Sasuke didn't do any of that, instead he said quietly, "I don't want to be a jounin when my only equal is refused the same privilege." Blue eyes looked up at him in surprise. "If you're not a jounin, then I'll refuse. I won't stand for it because you're not the fox and Kyuubi isn't the demon people believe."

"You'd refuse for me? B-but what about joining the Anbu?"

"What about it?" He shrugged, "I'll refuse as long as you're denied what should be yours."

" _Why?_ " Naruto asked almost inaudibly.

"Because you're my friend—my best friend—and it's wrong. It's wrong what they've been doing to you for your entire life."

"But Sasuke…"

"I'll stay a chunin as long as you are. I know we're both already past the level of a regular jounin, hell Naruto, we've already had more S-class missions than most jounin our age, and if they're not going to look past your seal then I'm not going to accept the position."

Tears poured down even more, but Naruto smiled through his tears. "No one has ever said that to me…made me feel important. Only Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, Ero-senin and Tsunade-baa-baa ever looked past Kyuubi, but they've never said…said anything like this."

Sasuke smirked and lightly patted Naruto's leg, but immediately pulled back when Naruto pulled his knees up in fear. "…I'm sorry." But Naruto's thoughts were elsewhere now, his eyes trained on the mark on Sasuke's neck. He bit his lip and looked away quickly when Sasuke found him staring.

"Sasuke," Naruto said, his voice low and serious. His eyes were downcast and he was twisting the blankets tightly. "Sasuke," he repeated, "does it ever bother you? The curse seal?"

"Orochimaru is dead and though the mark's still there, no, it doesn't bother me anymore. It's just a tattoo now." Sasuke shrugged.

"Oh."

A strange looked passed through his eyes, but Sasuke caught it. "Why?"

He looked down at his hands, "Because it's my fault you received that in the first place. If only I hadn't been acting so stupid, maybe all of this never would've happened."

"Dobe—"

"No, it's true. I just acted like a total idiot and put everyone in danger because of my insecurity and I almost killed everyone…there were so many times I should've acted serious, but instead I was afraid of everyone seeing _me_ and just acted like a dobe." He was rambling now and the blankets were being wrung in his hands. "You don't see it, do you Sasuke? Everything bad that has ever happened to Konoha is my fault, be it directly or indirectly, it's always my fault."

"Naruto, you couldn't have done anything." Sasuke said softly. He had never seen the blonde like this, he never blamed himself, it was always someone else and yet he was taking the blame for his own mistakes as well as everyone else's. He just took the blame for every disaster Konoha has ever experienced and even his own stupidity for trusting Orochimaru.

"But I could've, Sasuke, I could've. I should've listened to Kyuubi, I should've listened to you, I should've listened to Kakashi-sensei, I should've worked harder, trained harder and stopped acting like everything in the world was great because it wasn't. If only I was stronger or more dedicated or—"

"Stop it!" Sasuke yelled, towering over the blonde. "Stop blaming yourself right now!"

"I-I'm sorry…" Naruto whispered, terror coming over him as he looked up into Sasuke's dark eyes. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again…I won't…I promise, I won't do it again, just don't hurt me."

Sasuke collapsed next to the blonde and saw how Naruto shifted away from him, scared to touch him. He hadn't meant to cause him pain or fear and spoke softly, trying to calm him. "Naruto…for almost nine years my life was consumed by the same thoughts you are having." He paused and then opened a little of himself to the blonde. "When my parents were killed, I kept saying if only I was stronger, if only I trained harder, came home a couple minutes earlier, saw the signs before it ever happened and so many others that it's all I ever thought about. I became so obsessed with killing my brother that all I ever did was train to try and become stronger than him, but Naruto, because of that train of thought, I became cold and unemotional. I took the blame for my entire clan being massacred upon myself because I couldn't stop Itachi from murdering them. Naruto, there was nothing I could have done and there was nothing you could've done."

"But—"

"No. Don't blame yourself because it's not true. We can only try our best and our best will have to be good enough. You did what you thought was right and no one can blame you for that."

Naruto kept staring at his hands. "But…I am weak." He whispered, "I couldn't even stop a couple of jounin from…from hurting me." He hated himself even more for being too weak to even say the word and refused to meet Sasuke's eyes, certain the same disgust he felt would be reflected there. "I-I'm _wrong_ now, I'm unclean a-and weak and I can't do anything—"

Sasuke didn't know what to do. Naruto was near breaking and he was at a loss for words. He'd been alone since he was seven; he didn't have someone show him how to comfort or give support. But he tried and grabbed Naruto in a tight hug. Yet the blonde just shook more and became tense and unmoving.

He almost immediately pulled back, seeing his idea of comfort wasn't helping, but instead was making Naruto worse. He looked down at the blonde and felt a pang of guilt run through him. Naruto had his eyes tightly shut, holding tears back, his hands wound around the blankets and his body shaking with fear and dread.

"Naruto." He called and the blonde flinched. "Naruto, look at me…please." His voice soft, but demanding and slowly, Naruto opened his eyes and fearfully looked at Sasuke as told. The black haired prodigy stood next to him, but kept his hands clasped behind his back. "Naruto, I won't hurt you, I won't even touch you unless you want me to, okay? I promise."

Naruto dropped his eyes and pulled his knees up to his chin. Tears began to fall and he buried his face in his knees and arms. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He began chanting while Sasuke could only watch.

* * *

"I'm back with food!" Kakashi called happily, but his expression dropped when he saw Naruto. He began to move towards the bed, but Sasuke stopped him with a shake of his head and Kakashi understood immediately. So both men stood and quietly watched Naruto until he was finally in control of his emotions.

"Did you say food?" He asked, smiling, but they all knew it was only a front.

Kakashi smiled and sat down at the edge of the bed, certain not to crowd him, and handed Naruto a brown bag. "There you go."

Naruto happily removed the food, but his face faltered when he saw a mixture of scrambled eggs, rice and toast. "This isn't ramen."

"You're recovering Naruto; you need foods other than ramen."

"But—"

"No, you're going to eat this and Sasuke's going to make sure of it." Kakashi said and then stood up. "Well, I've got some missions to run for Hokage, but I'll see you two before you leave."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called and then slightly bowed his head. "Thank you."

He smiled and then disappeared.

"Eat dobe, I'll be right back." Sasuke said and then walked to the kitchen to make his own breakfast. He wasn't surprised when he saw Kakashi already seated at the table reading his little orange book.

"How is he?"

"Worse." Sasuke sighed. "He's blaming himself for everything."

"Everything?"

"Yeah, he said somehow everything that has ever happened to Konoha is his fault. Because of the Kyuubi."

Kakashi shook his head, "What do you plan to accomplish on this mission of yours?"

"I want him to live freely." He whispered as he began cooking some miso soup. "He's shunned here and I want him to feel alive again."

"Do you think it'll work?"

"Hn."

"You do know that usually you two are at each other's throats…"

"Hn."

"And you'll most likely always be arguing…"

"Hn

"And you're back to normal." Kakashi smiled while Sasuke glared at him over his shoulder.

"Don't you have some other student to annoy?"

"And miss the fun of having a conversation with a wall?" Sasuke only intensified his glare and Kakashi chuckled. "I'm going." Seconds later, Sasuke found himself alone in the kitchen.

"I am _not_ a wall." He growled.

Dhampir 

Page 9 

1/27/2005

* * *


	8. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Warnings:** Rape, OOC and later Sasu-Naru.   
**Notes:** - _-Kyuubi talking--_

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Eight_

Sasuke slowly made his way back up to his room and sighed when he saw Naruto already asleep. It had been a pretty uneventful day, other than Naruto screaming in fear, attacking him when he tried to get him to calm down and then running around the house searching for the front door. Sasuke finally got him to sleep again after lunch and only half an hour later, Naruto was screaming again.

He plopped down in a chair in his room and brought one leg up to lean on. Looking over at Naruto, he feared he wouldn't get any sleep tonight. Already, Naruto was trembling and twisting in his sleep, but Sasuke swore to not touch him unless he was given permission. All he could do was wait and try his best to calm the blonde down when he screams again. He moved his chair closer and sat back down, keeping vigil over the blonde as he thrashed around in his sleep.

Sasuke felt the urge to take the blonde in his arms, but he had promised and he was going to keep it, even though he knew Naruto could use someone to comfort him right now. "Naruto." He whispered, trying to wake the blonde with his voice. "Dobe, wake up, you're dreaming."

"N-no…" Naruto moaned, pain etched into his voice. "Please…don't."

"Naruto!" Sasuke said louder, more urgently as the blonde broke into a cold sweat. " _Naruto!_ "

Cerulean eyes opened suddenly and without a second in between, Naruto launched himself at Sasuke. "Sa-Sasuke…Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke."

"Naruto? What's wrong? What?" He asked, pulling the smaller boy onto his lap while rubbing his back.

"I thought you were dead."

"Why would I be dead?"

"B-because they killed you." His voice almost frail and broken.

"Who?"

" _Them._ "

Sasuke closed his eyes briefly, "They can't hurt you anymore."

"Yes, they can…"

"Naruto, what do you fear?" Sasuke suddenly asked, taking Naruto by surprise. Yet though the question was broad and left a great deal of room for Naruto to answer any way he wanted to, the blonde knew exactly what Sasuke was asking.

There was a long silence before Naruto spoke again and even then it was muffled and quiet. "I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"Because you'll hate me for being weak."

"Naruto, can I touch you?" He asked softly, even though he was already holding the blonde loosely. He felt the smaller boy tense and then relax minutes later with a curt nod. Sasuke tightened his grip on Naruto, "Do you want to know what I fear?"

Another pause followed by a slow nod.

"I fear that I will lose you."

Naruto startled, "What?"

"I'm afraid of losing you."

"Sasuke…" He whispered and relaxed even more into his grip, but he buried his face into Sasuke's shirt, muffling his words. "I'm afraid you'll leave me, my only friend."

Sasuke pulled Naruto away from his chest and the smaller boy began to cry, waiting for the rejection and disgust he knew he'd receive. Yet, instead of pushing him away, Sasuke just held him back and said quietly. "Naruto, don't look away."

"I-I can't…" he whispered, still not meeting his eyes. He couldn't. He'd break again if he had to face the rage and hate reflecting in those dark eyes and he knew he couldn't break again, he couldn't risk it.

"Dobe, look at me." He turned Naruto's face upward and let his emotions reach his voice. "I won't leave you."

Naruto frowned, thinking over what he just heard. "You promise?"

He smirked, "I promise." He carefully stood up and placed Naruto back on the bed. "Take my room for the night, okay? You're already comfortable here anyways."

"W-where are you going?" He whispered, his eyes betraying his fear.

Sasuke tucked him in as his mother had when he was younger and afraid. "I'm just going across the hall to your room to sleep. I don't want to disturb you and I can't sleep in a chair all night…though right now it probably wouldn't be too hard."

He bit his lip and uncertainty reflected in his eyes, but he nodded. He turned away, curling up into a fetal position and held tight to one of the pillows, but it didn't radiate the same heat Sasuke did. And he already missed the warm body next to his own.

Sasuke smiled softly and then crossed the hall to collapse onto the bed, smaller than his own, but still big. Forgetting to remove his clothes, he fell asleep with his feet dangling off the end and his arms spread out, taking up the entire bed.

Yet his restful sleep was interrupted when he was once more awakened by a tousle of blonde hair lying on his chest and tan arms circling his waist. He glanced at the clock and groaned, almost four in the morning again. Sasuke sighed and gave in, pulling the blonde up for a more comfortable position. He willed himself to sleep and an hour later found him back in a peaceful slumber again.

Kakashi had an even better time laughing at them because this time they were both in Naruto's bed and he couldn't help but comment on how cute they looked together. Sasuke ignored him, but he could feel the heat rising to his face and tinting his face with a light blush. He chased Kakashi out of the room and then stormed off to his room to get dressed, but every night continued the same way. Sasuke would go to sleep somewhere and around four a.m. Naruto would curl up next to him to sleep. Even if he was down in the living room on the couch or in a chair, Naruto would find him and curl up like a fox and go to sleep peacefully. Yet, Sasuke wasn't sleeping so peacefully. He'd hear Naruto's moans and whimpers and cringe, knowing the nightmares the blonde fought and knowing even more that he couldn't do anything to help him. So he'd stay up most nights, petting the blonde spikes softly and humming a little song until he fell asleep, giving him only two or three hours of sleep a night.

But he had to admit that when Naruto was around, his own nightmares that plagued him since he was small disappeared. He felt more at ease with someone sleeping next to him and often found his eyes wandering to Naruto's sleeping form just thinking. Even the droll, tiresome atmosphere seemingly disappeared when Naruto was awake and Sasuke was beginning to enjoy it only after a couple days.

* * *

On the sixth day since Naruto came to the Uchiha Manor, Sasuke finally approached him on leaving the property. Only two days ago did Naruto finally step outside for the first time, but he refused to leave the house without Sasuke with him.

"Naruto, we have to talk with Tsunade-sama about our mission. We have to walk through the village and we have to go today."

"Why?" He asked, staring at his breakfast. He didn't want to leave the house, he didn't want to see the cold stares and the disgust, he didn't want to have to talk with anyone, he didn't want to meet with anyone and he didn't want to see the pity he knew he'd see on Tsunade's face. He could deal with a lot of things, but pity was one he never did take well to.

"Because we leave in two days and we need tomorrow to prepare for it. Also, I'm certain there are people you want to say goodbye to."

"Not really…" He whispered, pushing his food around with his chopsticks.

"What about Iruka-sensei? Or Sakura? Kakashi-sensei I'm sure wants to see you before we leave and Kiba is certain to say goodbye. Hinata will be heartbroken if you just leave without a word to her and Shikamaru, even if he says it's troublesome, will also be hurt if you don't say anything."

Naruto bit his lip. He knew what Sasuke was saying was true, but he couldn't face them, not when he was defiled and broken. "But…"

"I'll be there, I won't leave your side." Sasuke said, sitting down next to him. He knew what was on the smaller boy's mind even if Naruto refused to admit it.

"Damn it! Why am I so scared?" He growled, slamming his hands down on the table and standing up. He wouldn't meet Sasuke's eyes, but he knew the Uchiha was watching him closely and didn't miss the two tears that fell to the table.

"You're afraid of getting hurt again, Naruto. Not physically, but emotionally."

His hands gripped the table edge tightly, "How did you know that?" He whispered as he turned his face away.

"Because I'm afraid of the same thing." Sasuke said, just as quietly, and then walked away.

Naruto didn't know what to say as he watched the boy's back walk away. Sasuke? Afraid of getting hurt? He didn't understand. Everyone loved Sasuke, no one ever wanted to see him hurt or dead, so what did he have to fear? No one would ever think of raping him or even touching him because he was Konoha's genius shinobi. _Sasuke…_ He looked back down at his plate and then picked it up slowly, walking over to the sink. As he scraped the uneaten food into the trash can, he thought back on the past days. All he had been to Sasuke was a burden for the past week. It was Sasuke who cooked for him, cleaned for him, watched over him, helped him and even let him sleep with him, but Naruto hadn't done a single thing for him.

He hated this feeling of helplessness. He ground his teeth as he washed off the plate. He didn't want to be a burden, he didn't want people to feel like they had to take care of him, he was a shinobi, wasn't he? He wasn't supposed to be like this, he wasn't supposed to be a mental mess and a screw-up. He should've been able to stop those jounin from raping him, but even if he couldn't, he should've been able to get over it and on with his life.

"Sasuke?" He called, leaving the kitchen and throwing on a grin. The black haired prodigy looked up from his seat on the couch. "Let's go." Naruto said before heading towards the door.

Sasuke frowned, he was expecting another argument or pouting from the blonde, not for him to actually agree with him, but he wasn't about to waste this chance to get him outside. Maybe Naruto was doing better than he had thought, but yet as he watched the blonde slip on his sandals, he thought he saw the grin waver for a second. Yet it was replaced just as quickly as Naruto turned to Sasuke and cocked his head expectantly.

"Coming?" Sasuke asked, opening the door and staring out at the yard. He hesitated, but then forced his feet to move and for the first time in almost two months; Naruto stepped outside on his own.

Sasuke quickly followed suit, locking the door behind him and then followed the blonde to the road. Naruto hesitated at the gate and glanced around for anyone on the road before slowly stepping onto it. "Naruto?" Sasuke asked quietly, seeing his friend hesitating.

Naruto flinched, but grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Just admiring the road, Sasuke, nothing to worry about!" He laughed and then started down the road at a brisk walk, leaving Sasuke behind to catch up. He didn't want to admit that he was terrified and barely keeping his nerve to continue this. Ever since he was able to account for everything that had happened to him two months ago, he had revolted against touch. He knew it was confusing to Sasuke for when he had first awoken from his coma, he had clung to Sasuke and refused to let him go, but now he flinched at the slightest touch and found his mind drowning in fear when someone hugged him. Yet, even in his sleep, he still sought out Sasuke and again, refused to let him go until he awoke in the morning once more fearing touch.

He glanced at Sasuke, a couple feet behind him, and then looked at the quickly approaching town square. Sasuke was watching him intently, waiting for to make a move before he did anything himself. Naruto knew Sasuke could see right through his cracking mask and he feared that would break him even more. No one had ever seen him in such a weak state and if the villagers ever figured out that he now revolted at the slightest touch, they would use it against him. They would surround him and taunt him like they usually did, but this time they _would_ kill him because this time they would know how. Before, Naruto could always fight back and somehow escaped with his life without harming the others, but one touch from them would send him back into the recesses of his mind and back to that night of terror and torture. He wouldn't survive mentally, even if he survived physically.

Naruto took an uneasy step when he saw Sakura talking with Ino and Shikamaru, just hesitating for a half second, but Sasuke caught it. He stopped suddenly and just stared at them, afraid to move. He thought he could, but seeing the three of them froze his feet to the ground and he suddenly found himself once more terrified. Sasuke stepped up next to him silently and let Naruto decide what to do, but he made certain Naruto knew he was still there. He watched as the blonde grinned again and heard the sharp inhale of breath before, "Sakura-chan! Shikamaru! Ino-chan!"

The three turned and smiled as the two boys approached them. Ino was the first to speak, "Naruto! Where have you been? Everyone's been looking for you!"

"Well…" He laughed, scratching the back of his head, "I-I-I've been, um, well, you see…"

"He's been with me." Sasuke said, coming to stand next to Naruto, eyes glaring and hands shoved in his pockets. His eyes glinted dangerously when Sakura opened her mouth to ask the obvious question and she immediately closed it and decided to just smile.

Naruto frowned at her odd behavior, but shrugged it off. "So, what have you guys been up to?"

"Nothing much. Sakura's been added to our team and Shika is our jounin instructor." Ino said, latched onto Shikamaru's arm.

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed and Naruto laughed.

"Shika!" Ino said, hitting him lightly.

"Hey!"

Sakura smiled and then hugged Naruto. Sasuke froze, emotions flickering across his eyes from rage to fear as he watched Naruto stand stock-still. "I'm glad you're okay, Naruto."

"Um…t-thanks." He whispered, the blood draining from his face as the fear he had so painstakingly pushed down began to grip him once more.

Shikamaru immediately saw the change in Naruto as did Sasuke and he frowned, _just what did happen to him?_ Naruto was pale and shaking and Sakura didn't look like she was going to let go any time soon. "Sakura—"

"Naruto, we have to go. _Now_." Sasuke interrupted. "Hokage is waiting."

Sakura stepped away, "Hokage?"

Naruto was breathing harshly and he felt sick. He couldn't see anything, he couldn't focus, he couldn't breathe and he began to panic as the memories resurfaced. All he could see where for four faces standing over him and the malicious smiles on their faces as they began stripping him of his innocence. "Sa…Sasuke? Where are you? Where'd you go?" He whispered, almost inaudible.

"I'm right here." Sasuke said softly, standing right in front of the blonde. The first thing he noticed was how pale Naruto was and the second was how distant his eyes were. He knew immediately Naruto was in his past and prayed he could bring his teammate out of his living nightmare. "It's okay Naruto, just breathe."

"I-I can't see you." He cried.

"I'm going to touch you, okay?"

"Okay." Naruto said after a pause.

Hands softly touched his own, "I'm right here."

Slowly pale skin, dark hair and ebony eyes faded into his vision and Naruto sighed in relief. Sasuke hadn't left him; he kept his promise and stayed next to him. He gave a crooked smile and stepped away, breaking their contact, "Thanks."

Sasuke gave a curt nod and then turned away, his own emotionless mask firmly in place. "Come on dobe, we need to go."

"Bye!" He yelled in his usual manner and started trailing after Sasuke, but Sakura grabbed his wrist.

"Wait! Why are you going to see Hokage?"

"Please don't touch me Sakura-chan." Naruto whispered, his eyes downcast and hidden while his body was once more frozen with fear.

Sakura pulled away as if she had been burned. "Naruto…" She whispered, shock evident in her voice. _Had he heard me on that night? Did he remember how I didn't ask if he was okay, but instead asked Sasuke? Damn it! I was worried about him, but it became a habit now to ask Sasuke how he was first…_

"We're leaving on a long term mission Sakura," Sasuke answered neutrally, but rage burned in his eyes. "And need to talk with Hokage-sama before we leave."

"I'm going, right?" Sakura asked.

"No. Naruto and I are going alone. I don't know any more than that."

Sakura looked at Naruto, at first jealous of the time he would get to spend with her Sasuke, but her anger turned to curiosity at his odd behavior. He wouldn't look at her and he didn't want her to touch him, but she had thought Naruto would love to be hugged by her. She had heard so many people saying Naruto had a crush on her and so wouldn't he love her touch? "Naruto, are you mad at me?"

He startled and looked over at her, his mouth slightly opened in surprise. "N-no! Of course not…"

"Then why can't I hug you?"

"I-I just don't want to be." He said lamely.

"But why? I thought you liked me." She pursued, coming closer to him.

Naruto backed up, but Sakura kept coming closer. "I do, b-but I just don't want anyone touching me."

"Why?"

His breathing hitched again and his eyes darted around, looking for an escape. "I just….please Sakura-chan, just leave it."

"No! I need to know why!"

Sasuke grabbed Sakura by her wrist and jerked her away. "Stop it Sakura. He doesn't want to tell you so leave it."

" _You_ know." She said, her eyes narrowed.

"I know because Naruto told me and he will tell you when he's ready. Now, leave him alone." He growled. He dropped her wrist and then glanced at Naruto, "Come on dobe, we're going to be late."

Naruto darted away quickly, trying to get to the Hokage Tower as quickly as possible. Sasuke was beside him in seconds and he flashed the prodigy a rare smile. "Thank you."

"Hn."

Naruto didn't say anymore. A simple thank you wasn't enough for what Sasuke pulled him out of and he doubted there was any way he could ever repay him enough. Sasuke understood the weight and sincerity behind his words and knew not to mock them as he usually would. They continued to walk in silence, ignoring the hated stares Naruto received, and avoided contact with anyone else, much to Naruto's relief.

The Anbu watched them warily as they approached, but let them pass when Tsunade beckoned them to sit. Naruto flashed her a dazzling smile and a small greeting as she smiled softly in return.

"Welcome back Naruto." She said seriously, her elbows resting on the desk and her hands intertwined beneath her chin.

"Thanks, baa-chan."

She let the name slide and leaned back in her seat. "I need you two for a long term mission and this is one you cannot turn down. I need the two of you to visit every country and give me a full report on the people, Kage, their shinobi and the soundness of the village. Also, if they are a threat to us…" Picking up two small folders, she handed them to Sasuke, "These are your passports, it's up to you how you wish to carry out this mission, civilian or shinobi, it doesn't matter. But there is a chance you will be chased out, attacked and hunted."

Sasuke and Naruto nodded, looking over their passports curiously. "This is a high ranking A mission, isn't it?" Naruto asked. "Almost S." She was asking them not just to spy, but to take on hunter nins and Anbu. No chunin would ever be given such a dangerous mission and yet they were being given it. It was true that as a pair, Sasuke and he were sometimes given S Class missions, but usually they were low ranking S or given to them as B Class missions. Yet this one was undoubtedly an S Class mission and anyone who saw it would immediately know it.

_He has gotten sharper…and here I thought he'd be jumping up and down with excitement._ She nodded, "Yes, it is. As of now, you two are jounin shinobi…actually," she added in a hushed voice, "the two of you are in the ranks of Anbu, but that is a fact only known by a handful of people here, Kakashi being one of them."

"But the council—" He started.

"The council can't say a single word to demote you, Naruto, and the entire village knows the two of you deserve it."

He bowed his head and spoke softly, "Thank you."

"The rest of the information is in these two scrolls along with my signature. That signature will allow you to withdraw as much money as needed from any bank in any country, though Sasuke has graciously offered to help fund this trip." She said, handing them each a scroll. "Your funds are now unlimited—Naruto, this does _not_ mean you can eat unlimited too."

"B-but…" He stopped when he saw the glare she was directed at him and sighed, "Hai, hai."

"Good. Now scram kid, you need to go over those scrolls and get ready. Don't forget to pick up your new jounin vest on the way out!" She called as the two shinobi walked out. The Anbu guards shot them both glances before returning to their earlier states in front of the door.

"Jounin…" Naruto breathed and then laughed, "You knew, didn't you?" He asked Sasuke.

He glanced at the blonde, but didn't answer.

"Bastard! You knew!"

"So what, dobe?"

"Well….why didn't you tell me?"

He smirked and continued walking, knowing it would only anger the blonde even more and he was right. Seconds later, a frustrated growl echoed down the hall and Naruto appeared beside him, huffing angrily. His arms crossed over his chest and his lip out in a pout. "Aren't you a bit old to be pouting dobe?"

"I'm not a dobe! And I'm not pouting." He pouted, refusing to look at Sasuke.

"Mature Naruto." He whispered and shook his head.

Naruto cracked a smile and folded his hands behind his back, looking around with mild curiosity. He began whistling a simple tune and grinned when Sasuke shot a glare at him. "Aw, Sasuke, don't be such a bastard!"

"Hmph…" he smirked, "dobe."

" _Sasuke!_ " Naruto growled, but it sounded like more of a whine than a threat.

Sasuke suddenly stopped at the end of the hall and glanced at Naruto, still fuming, and knocked, "We're here dobe, so stop complaining."

Ten minutes later, two new jounin left the Tower and began their walk home to prepare for their mission. Naruto was grinning broadly while Sasuke was scowling darkly at anyone and everyone in their path. The chunin they met had refused Naruto his vest and was now laying unconscious and bloody on the floor thanks to Sasuke's temper.

They hadn't gotten very far when Sakura appeared out of nowhere and latched onto Sasuke's arm. "Sasuke-kun!" She said happily.

"Sakura." He nodded, watching Naruto in front of him.

"Oh! You're a jounin now?"

"Hn." He nodded again.

"So then you have a chunin team?"

"No. I told you, Naruto and I leave for our mission in two days."

"Naruto's a jounin too?" She whispered, looking at the blonde walking a couple feet in front of them.

"Yup!" Naruto said, turning around. "Is that so hard to believe, Sakura-chan?"

She smiled and stepped towards him to congratulate him, "That's great Naruto!"

But Naruto retreated hastily and smiled sadly, "I'm sorry Sakura-chan, I just need some time to…" he drifted off, looking to Sasuke before walking away, avoiding the people who came too close to him.

Sakura and Sasuke watched him leave silently. Sasuke knew he needed to be alone for now, but he still wanted to follow the blonde and make sure he was okay. He sighed, knowing it would be better not to, and just hoped Naruto would defend himself if he ran into trouble.

"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong with Naruto?"

"Hn."

She sighed, it was pointless trying to extract information from him, but she decided to try her luck with her long term dream. "Want to go to lunch, Sasuke-kun?"

He was about to decline as usual when he thought it better not to. This may be the last time he'd ever see her again if they died during the mission and even if they didn't, it would be a long time before he saw her again. "Sure, but as friends Sakura, and nothing else."

She smiled sadly, but nodded. "Okay, Sasuke-kun."

* * *

Naruto sat on the roof of his apartment, staring at Konoha and thinking. He had heard Sasuke talking to Sakura after he had left, he had doubled back and was about to ask them if they wanted to go to lunch when he heard them make plans. At first he was hurt that they would go without him, but he knew what was running through Sasuke's mind and appreciated the offer of solace, even if he did and didn't want it. He needed to be alone and to think things through, but he couldn't be alone because then memories of _that_ night resurfaced and tortured him once more.

He tried to focus on the sun and the busy streets of Konoha, but the memories came unheeded and immediately his breathing increased. Naruto covered his head with his arms and pulled his knees up, softly crying, "No, no, no, no….please no." Yet they wouldn't go away and once more the darkness consumed him and he was lying on the ground, paralyzed as four figures loomed over him, metal glinting in the moonlight.

_\--Kit, don't fall into the darkness again!--_

The voice was faint, but Naruto heard it. "Kyuubi?" He whispered and the memories blurred.

_\--Don't give in to it, fight it.--_

"I…I can't." He cried and saw the first blade stab into his arm. He curled into a tight ball, crying as the pain returned.

_\--No! Kit, listen to my voice and fight! Focus on the present, don't give in.--_

"But it hurts." He whispered. "It hurts Kyuubi."

He heard a sigh and suddenly he was in the cage with the giant fox. _\--Stay here as long as you need kit, but don't run from it.--_

"How can I not?"

The great fox paced in front of him. Naruto was still on the ground crying, but his eyes vaguely followed the claws clicking on the ground. _\--It's hard, I was there with you kit, even though you experienced the most pain, I was still there and I know what you went through.--_ Kyuubi stopped and laid next to him. _\--Let me help you.--_

"How?"

_\--I can…suppress the memories completely if you want me to or I can take away some of the pain. The memories would still be there and you'd still fear touch and have nightmares, but the pain you feel would no longer be there.--_

Naruto leaned against the fox, feeling the soft fur, "You'd do that for me?"

_\--Yes kit, I'd do that for you.--_

"Then please…make the pain go away…" He whispered and snuggled closer into the warm fur.

_\--Sleep kit, and I'll help you with the pain.--_ The fox whispered. Naruto muttered something sleepily and curled against Kyuubi's stomach. Kyuubi stared down at the young human beside him and sighed, wrapping a tail around the petite form. If only the seal hadn't been so restraining, he could've protected his host from the pain, but the seal made that impossible. Only if Naruto was emotionally stressed could his power be used and then only by Naruto, he couldn't do anything except watch unless Naruto let him out. When he was raped, Naruto was helpless and there was nothing Kyuubi could do except heal his body and watch, both he and Naruto were too drained to effectively fuse their chakra to stop the rapists, so all they could do was let it happen and wait it out.

He cursed the humans for being so blind and hateful and knew he couldn't apologize enough for what the kit went through because of him, but at least he could do something to help him now. _\--If forgetting the last two months of your life was worth it, I'd do it in a heartbeat kit, but it wouldn't be right. Even though what they did wasn't right either.--_

Dhampir   
Page 10   
1/29/2005

* * *

**Author's Note:**

  
I would like to apologize if it still wasn't clear after I tried to fix it. As the author I know where the story is going and what will happen within it. I knew that Sasuke had told Tsunade and the others that Itachi was dead and only he and Naruto knew the real truth. But I did not mention that in the story and it has caused some problems. I am very sorry because that is a major mistake and I will try better to find such mistakes.  
  
  
Thank you also for all the reviews and kudos, I'm happy to know this story is still so well received!


	9. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Warnings:** Rape, OOC and Sasu-Naru later.

* * *

**Living A Lie  
** _Chapter Nine_

When Naruto awoke the first thing he noticed was he felt more at peace. He still feared physical contact and the memories were still there, but the pain he remembered had… dulled. It didn't invade his every thought as before and he felt for once as if he could survive this. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but suicide was a thought always on his mind and after _that_ night, suicide was looking even more appealing. Now suicide was an afterthought and only to be used if the pain ever became unbearable again.

The second thing he noticed was the moon was setting and he was cold. "Shit!" He yelled and rubbed his arms for warmth before taking off. "Iruka-sensei must be so worried…" He immediately leapt off the roof and made his way towards Iruka's house. He reached the deck just as Kakashi was leaving with a tired Iruka tucked against his side. They were on their way to alert Hokage of Naruto's disappearance.

The silver-haired man looked up and closed his eye in relief. "Naruto…"

"What's wrong?" He asked, fear welling up in his chest. What had happened since he was out? "Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka looked up at the voice and grabbed Naruto in a harsh hug. "Naruto! Where had you been?"

Naruto stilled at the touch, but he didn't get drawn into his past and he could tolerate it for just a minute or so. He pulled back and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I fell asleep."

Iruka sighed and leaned against Kakashi, "We were so worried about you. We didn't know what happened."

"I'm sorry Iruka-sensei."

Another head appeared behind them and blue met black. "Naruto… you're safe."

"Sasuke?" He frowned, "Why are you here?"

"Baka, you're under my care, remember?"

"Oh, sorry." He laughed nervously, scratching his head.

"Where were you Naruto?" Sasuke's voice was soft and Naruto thought he caught a hint of concern. "You were gone for seventeen hours!"

"I…I was just relaxing and fell asleep…"

He sighed, wanting to press the subject. Naruto had a hard time sleeping for six hours, he found it hard to believe that he slept seventeen hours without waking once, but he let it drop…for now. "Come on Naruto, let's go home." He nodded to the two teachers and began walking slowly down the road.

Naruto watched him leave curiously and then turned to say goodbye. "I really am sorry." He then turned to leave.

"Naruto!" Iruka called and he paused on the last step. "He really was worried about you."

He nodded and then ran to catch up with the dark figure that was Sasuke. He glanced at him and saw the downcast eyes and an almost sad expression on Sasuke's face. They walked in silence for most of the way until Naruto spoke. "I'm…I'm really happy for you and Sakura, Sasuke."

Sasuke frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"I saw you two going to lunch earlier today and so I assumed…"

"Dobe. You know I don't like Sakura that way, I never have, and she knows that. I thought it'd be fair since we may be leaving Konoha tomorrow forever."

"O-oh…"

Sasuke studied the blonde and stopped, making Naruto stop as well. "Is that why you left Naruto?"

He opened his mouth to deny it, but when nothing came out; he just bowed his head and nodded.

"Dammit Naruto," he yelled, causing the blonde to jump, "I thought you had committed suicide!" He leaned back against a building and raked a hand through his hair. "I was out of my mind trying to find you and when I couldn't…damn it! Seventeen hours, Naruto, seventeen hours of wondering if you were hurt, if you ran, if you were kidnapped _again_ or worse, if you were dead."

"Sasuke…"

"We even sent Shikamaru and his team to scourer the woods around us." He opened his eyes, his lips set in a thin line, "Where were you?"

"I was at home…my home….on the roof."

"At home. Safe and sound. I'm an idiot!" He laughed, "A total idiot."

"Sasuke, that's not true." Naruto protested.

"I was _worried_ about you!" He laughed sardonically, "And you were completely safe."

"Worried…about me…" He whispered, but his shock suddenly turned to anger, "Don't say things like that."

The sudden change in attitude sobered Sasuke immediately, "What?"

"Don't say you're worried about me when you're not." Rage still evident in his voice, "No one can care about a demon." He spat and began walking away.

Sasuke hesitated for a second before pushing Naruto harshly, his anger getting the better of him. "What the hell are you talking about? I've just spent the last seventeen hours in hell because of you and you mock me?" 

Naruto picked himself off the ground and turned away once more. "I'm a demon, no one cares for demons."

"I thought Kyuubi wasn't a demon." 

"He's not."

"Then neither are you."

He turned and grinned, showing his canines. "I am because that's what _they_ made me into. _Them_ and this damn village, it's what they always thought of me and so I am."

"That's not true!" Denied Sasuke.

"It is!" 

"Then I'm a demon as well." He growled, shoving down his shirt collar to expose the dormant curse seal. "If you're a demon because of Kyuubi then I'm a demon because of Orochimaru."

Naruto shook his head, "Why do you insist on tormenting me?"

"Why do you insist on torturing _me_?" Sasuke retorted. He suddenly crossed the distance between them and stood a breadth away from the blonde. "I was worried about you Naruto, scared that I would lose you. I told you that’s my fear and I can't have that fear if I don't care for you."

"It's not true." He cried. "No one can care for me, it isn't possible!"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because…" his voice dropped to a faint whisper, "who could care for something that isn't even human?"

Sasuke's hands balled into fists as he ignored the urge to hit the blonde and knock some sense into him. "You are human, dobe."

He looked up at him, intense emotions of hope, fear, sorrow and anger gazed out of those blue eyes. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because you feel. You hurt. You laugh. You need. You cry…" He answered softly. "You love and no demon could feel that, that's how I know."

Naruto bowed his head in defeat, "Sasuke…I'm sorry." He fell against Sasuke's chest and cried. "You can." He whispered, knowing what Sasuke was about to ask.

Hesitantly Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto, "What really happened Naruto? You couldn't have just slept for seventeen hours…I know that."

"I was with Kyuubi. We were talking…"

"Talking?"

"He told me he could take the pain away, he knew I was reaching my limit. So he suppressed my memories of that night and I didn't even know how much time had passed. When I woke up, the moon was setting." He didn't want to move away, Sasuke was the only person whose touch didn't make him shiver or recoil in fear and he liked feeling safe.

Sasuke smiled, "I'm glad he could do something for you…" _Since I can't_ , he added silently. _At least he gave in quickly and I didn't have to beat some sense into him this time_. He smirked at all the times he had fought Naruto over petty things and boasts, but those days were fun, even if then he didn't notice that. Sasuke moved back a step, but Naruto moved with him and with amusement, he saw Naruto had fallen asleep against him. "Dobe." He whispered as he scooped the blonde up and walked back towards his house.

Sasuke slowly carried the blonde down the road, taking his time to cradle the sleeping boy to his chest as his brother once did when he trained too hard or was scared. The day must have been too much for the smaller boy, he knew it was too much for him. Thinking of his brother, he sighed and looked up at the cloudless sky to stare at the red tinted moon.

He grinned when he thought of how terrifying such nights were to him and how he'd run to his brother's room for protection. Itachi always complained when he came running in and grumbled as Sasuke climbed onto his lap, but he'd cradle him to his chest anyways and stay up all night while Sasuke slept.

It was Itachi's fault anyways. It was he who told Sasuke that on nights when the moon ran red that the night's children ran free, feeding on the blood of innocent people and changing them into creatures like themselves. Vampires, Itachi called them and he warned Sasuke about the fanged monsters for on these nights, the blood lust moon drove them mad and caused them to feed until their own lust was satisfied. Being only five, Sasuke feared Itachi's fanged demons and refused to step outside the house, even at the threat of severe punishment.

Even worse was the Inuzuka family for when Sasuke met them for the first time, he screamed "Vampire!" and ran to hide behind Itachi. Being good natured as most Inuzuka members were, they all laughed at his 'antics' and dismissed them, but Itachi shook his head and led him away to explain who Kiba and the others were. It still took two months to convince him that the Inuzukas weren't vampires—being the stubborn boy he was and always would be—and a lot of bribing on Itachi's part, but he eventually accepted it and stopped hiding from them. He even stopped glaring at them…well, he stopped giving them the Uchiha death glare at least. Sasuke never _didn't_ glare at someone, not even Hokage was given that honor.

Only one person was ever given that honor, Sasuke thought, and that was Naruto. He was the only soul to ever receive a look other than a glare from the cold Uchiha and would probably be the only one. Sasuke sighed again and returned his eyes to Naruto, who was still sound asleep against his chest. Strands of hair fell into his face and he watched amused as Naruto scrunched his nose and therefore his whiskers every time a piece of hair brushed his cheek or nose. He almost laughed at the almost annoyed, yet peaceful, expression on Naruto's face, but Uchihas did not happily laugh…at least not since that night. He honestly couldn't remember anyone in his family ever laughing except for his mother and himself, but that changed quickly after his family was murdered. Yet around Naruto, he found he had laughed at least twice though he tried not to.

* * *

Sasuke had been wandering for a while, not really going anywhere, but going nowhere at the same time. He had already passed his house four times and finally settling for the park, walked aimlessly through the trees and gardens. Finally coming to the conclusion that he would not sleep one bit until he found out what had happened to his teammate, he looked down at the now drooling blonde and whispered, "Kyuubi."

Immediately Naruto's eyes snapped open, showing clear blue eyes with slitted pupils narrowing as he stared up at Sasuke's pale face. " _What?_ " He asked.

"Tell me what you did." Sasuke demanded, setting the fox boy on his feet. He glared at the fox and crossed his arms, silently conveying that neither was leaving until Sasuke got some answers.

Kyuubi sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily, "Damn brat," he growled. "Not even enough time to have a decent rest. Seventeen years and not once has anyone ever thought to speak to me, going insane from speaking to this blonde idiot, and now when I actually do need the rest, I don't get it because I get called out of my sleep by a brat."

"A stubborn brat." Sasuke corrected, "The quicker you tell me what happened, the quicker you can sleep fox, so tell me what you did and we'll all be happier."

He snorted, "You and 'happy' are not words used to describe you in a sentence unless a negation is used, brat."

Sasuke intensified his glare, "Shut up fox."

"Oh now you want me to shut up! First it's 'tell me what you did' and now it's 'shut up'." He mocked, "Damn brat, tell me what you want and let me sleep!"

"Tell me fox, did Naruto's habits of being annoying and a dobe rub off on you or did you rub off on him?" He smirked.

His face turned red with anger and he stomped his foot like Naruto did when he was angry, "Bastard!"

"Even the name calling's the same." Sasuke said in a droll voice ending with a sigh.

Red chakra started to form around him and two Rasenagens formed in his fists, "Do not tempt me child, I've lived far longer than you and I can use chakra much better than the kittling I reside in."

Sasuke smirked, "But that doesn't mean you can actually fight with it."

A deep growl resonated from the blonde's throat and before Sasuke's eyes, his form blurred and vanished. Before Sasuke could even react, Kyuubi was before him again and with both Rasenagens just inches away from his skull. Conflicting emotions ran through his eyes as if a battle were waging behind them, but Sasuke could do nothing but watch for he dared not move. Then with a dissatisfied grunt, Kyuubi dropped his hands away from Sasuke and punched both hands into the ground, leaving large crater marks behind. "Damn brat…no, I don't think you should've said that and no, I don't agree with you. So what? I _don't_ care brat!" He muttered, "Okay, fine, I give him that…and that… and that too, but—Damn it kit, stop defending him!"

Sasuke watched as the fox boy paced back and forth, muttering and growling the entire time as he kept glancing at Sasuke. "His pride gets in his way…so what? What do you mean by that? _I'm_ prideful? Don't you dare compare me to him! I'm nothing like him, he's a weak human…no, that is not pride speaking! Damn it! Fine, why don't you explain it to him and let me rest? You are an idiot…yes you are…yes you are! What do you mean if you are then I am? Shut up brat or I'll…you wouldn't do that!"

"What are you doing?" Sasuke finally asked, tiring of the bickering, even though he only heard half of it.

Kyuubi looked at him, "The damn kit won't let me kill you…something about you being his only friend and about me owing you our life…a couple times."

He smirked, "Well, I guess the dobe can be smart every once in a while."

Kyuubi grinned and licked his lips, "It seems that dobe just had a change of heart, brat."

"Naruto wouldn't dare attack me, he always ends up underneath."

The fox raised his eyebrows, "Naruto's submissive?"

" _What?_ "

"You said he always ends up underneath."

"I didn't mean it that way!" Sasuke yelled, ignoring the blush rising to his cheeks. "Why the hell would you think that anyways?"

The grin became a toothy smile, "Are you sure you want to know?"

Giving it a second of thought, Sasuke shook his head, "No, I don't want to know."

"Aw come on kit! I was just having some fun…and what about your dr—" The fox boy suddenly shut up and muttered, "Damn brat."

Sasuke was beginning to lose patience, though he made a mental note to watch what he said in front of Kyuubi, but he had now spent ten minutes bickering with the fox and still he had no answers to what happened to Naruto. "Are you going to tell me what you did or not?"

"Fine! If it will shut the two of you brats up I'll do anything right about now." The fox exasperated. "All I did was remove the pain from his dreams and memories. He remembers the pain and everything that's part of those memories, but it's been…dulled in a way. What they did to him was always in his thoughts and so I made it so it was just a memory and only that, instead of the living hell he had made every day into because of those memories. He still fears touch and he'll still have nightmares, but he won't be as terrified of them as he was before as long as I can keep them dulled.

"What was happening to him was causing him to start doubting himself and his life. Don't be surprised if you find scars on his body from when he tried to kill himself brat, but don't you let him know I told you. There are only four or five cuts, I've been able to heal most of them, but those four or five times when he attempted suicide when my resources were all used up were the closest calls ever. Only a handful of people know about his attempts: Gondaime, your sensei and this Iruka-sensei the kittling's always talking about. Past that…no one else knows."

Sasuke paled, "I never thought he'd try that...He always acted too strong to try suicide."

"Yeah, well," the fox shrugged, "Naruto's not as strong as he acts. Not even close."

"How do you know he's not listening in?"

"Because he's too tired. We're both too tired." Kyuubi said, yawning as if to prove his point.

"I'll carry him, just…" he paused, "take care of him."

His answer was a fox-like grin before the light dimmed from Naruto's eyes and his body went slack. Sasuke caught him as he fell, and muttering curses at the fox for not warning him, hefted Naruto up carefully and walked back towards his house. He dumped him none too gently onto the bed, smirking when Naruto or Kyuubi growled at him, and then left to crawl into his own bed and sleep.

Dhampir   
Page 6   
2/1/2005

* * *

 **Note:** The red moon was actually what **my** **brother** told me, haha! I begged my mom not to go out at night when there was a red tinted moon because my brother told me it was when a blood lust fell over the vampires and they'd go crazy attacking anyone who came out of their house.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Note:** Rape, OOC and eventual Sasu-Naru.

* * *

**Living A Lie  
** _Chapter Ten_

  
  


Sasuke panicked. It was already ten in the morning, late for him, but that was the least of his worries. He had awakened that morning to find his bed empty except for him and no sign of the spiky blonde anywhere in his room. His first thought was suicide because of what the fox had said and he dashed out of the room to Naruto's fearing the worst. But when he slammed the doors open, all he saw was a peaceful sleeping Naruto not covered in blood and very alive.

At the sound of the doors slamming open, Naruto jumped awake, rubbing one eye while he sat up using his free hand. "Wha…Sasuke?" He yawned, "What's wrong?"

Sasuke stared at him before smirking and striding out the door, calling, "Nothing. You sleep too long dobe, so I finally decided to give you a wakeup call." Then he disappeared down the hall, but he didn't miss Naruto muttering "Bastard…" He smirked and grabbing his robe from his room and went to the kitchen to start breakfast.

By the time he finished cooking; Naruto had finally descended to the kitchen, still half asleep. Sasuke watched in silent amusement as the blonde collapsed into a chair, a pout already on his face for being disturbed. With his hair mussed and disheveled clothes, Naruto looked like someone just picked him up off the side of the road.

Setting a plate of pancakes, eggs and miso soup before the smaller boy, Sasuke took the chair beside him with his own plate in his hands. "Itadakimasu!" Naruto yelled and Sasuke smirked, mumbling his own "Itadakimasu." Naruto didn't speak throughout the entire meal, much to Sasuke's surprise, but he shrugged it off and cleared the table. He frowned when Naruto remained sitting silently at the table and glanced over his shoulder at the blonde.

Naruto was staring at him curiously; a distant look on his face and his eyes searched Sasuke's. "Sasuke…"

"What is it, dobe?" He asked, pushing the plate under the water to wash it off. He waited, but Naruto didn't continue and he finally turned around to look at him.

Naruto was now staring at the floor, finding it much more interesting than Sasuke's piercing eyes. He sighed and glanced at Sasuke before turning away again. "I was wondering… I-I mean…"

"Spit it out."

"Can-you-teach-me-how-to-cook?" He said quickly and then looked away again.

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow in surprise. He really didn't know what Naruto was going to say, but he definitely wasn't expecting that. "You want me to teach you to cook, dobe?"

"Never mind." He said, quickly jumping up to exit the kitchen.

"No." Sasuke said firmly, making him stop. "Why do you want to learn?"

Naruto was looking everywhere except at him and said softly, "All I can make is ramen…no one ever taught me to make anything else."

"I thought you hate ramen."

"I do," he sadly smiled, "but it's all I can afford so that's all I know…" He shook his head, "Never mind, it was a stupid idea anyways."

  
Before Sasuke could say anything, Naruto dashed upstairs to shower and dress.

* * *

When Naruto came back down a half hour later though, he found Sasuke in the kitchen with forty or fifty different ingredients spread about. Naruto stopped and just stared at the scene before him, so many foods, he'd never seen so many in one place.

Sasuke turned around and smirked, "What are you waiting for, dobe? We've got a lot of food to make and you gaping like a fish out of water won't make it cook on its own."

Naruto bristled out of his stupor, "Teme!"

The cold smirk remained, but a glint of amusement could be seen in his eyes. Naruto was just too easy to bait. "You're still gaping dobe."

Hesitantly the smaller boy entered the kitchen and approached Sasuke's side. "Ano…I-I don't know what to do."

"That's why I'm here." He smirked.

The rest of the morning and afternoon were spent baking, cooking, frying, chopping and yelling—mostly on Naruto's part. Sasuke couldn't see how the idiot managed to burn himself twelve times in two hours and cut every finger and knuckle at least twice before they had finished. While Naruto spent the day crying, yelling and burning food, Sasuke spent the day 'patiently' explaining how to cook, but Naruto was almost completely incompetent in that area.

Halfway through the day, Naruto had started a flour fight, actually catching Sasuke off guard with a fist full of flour. It lasted a good hour before both of them were out of 'ammo' and Sasuke found himself laughing for the first time in years, which of course caused Naruto to gawk. Sasuke only grinned and tackled the oblivious blonde to the ground and tickled him.

Naruto begged, pleaded and laughed as Sasuke assaulted him with his fingers. After minutes of suffering, Naruto was finally able to flip them over and discover Sasuke's ticklish spots. From then on, every couple of minutes, they'd turn the tables and were soon rolling around the floor, laughing and shouting out in surprise.

They finally stopped when the smell of _another_ burning cake reached their noses. Naruto gave a dismayed yelp and jumped off Sasuke, praying his cake hadn't burned yet. Sasuke couldn't hold back a grin as Naruto removed a blackened cake from his oven, a pout on his face as he set it down on the counter. "Oi, another one? That's the twelfth one now!"

He sniffed and nodded, tears coming to his eyes. "Sorry…I just can't do this!"

"Whatever." Sasuke said, shrugging indifferently. "Come on, I've still got enough ingredients for seven more."

"But I can't!" He snapped.

"So try again, dobe."

"I'm just wasting your time and your money."

He narrowed his eyes and stared directly at Naruto, making the blonde look at him. "If I thought it was a waste of time, I would've left hours ago, but I'm not wasting my time and my money is mine to do what I please with it. And if I choose to spend it on ruined food, so be it. Now come on, let's try again.

Naruto cocked his head, happiness returning slowly to his eyes. "Really?"

"Really."

A soft smiled graced his lips and before Sasuke could move, Naruto tackled him. "Thank you!"

"Heh. Dobe." He ruffled blonde spikes and grinned when the flour came out in a cloud of white smoke. "All right, off. You're not that light." He said, pushing him off and standing. "Once more."

Three cakes later, Naruto finally managed to create a double layered cake without burning it. Sasuke smiled, watching Naruto holler and jump around excitedly and he knew right then, the money and time he had spent had been well worth it. In all honestly, they had managed to make sushi, four different soups, chicken curry, bread, fried squid, fish, a cake, rice and a huge mess, but for once, Sasuke wasn't concerned with that.

"Good dobe, you managed to bake without burning my house down."

His face faltered, "Sasuke!" He whined.

Sasuke smacked him lightly upside the head, "I was just joking dobe!"

"Meanie." 

"Baka."

"Bastard."

"Dobe."

"Brat."

"Wonder where you picked that one up from?" He smirked.

"What…?" He scrunched his nose. "Teme!"

He was about to insult him once more, but a high pitched voice calling "Sasuke-kun!" interrupted his thoughts. Both boys turned to look at Sakura followed by the entire 'Rookie Nine', their senseis, Iruka and a couple other people from the village who liked Naruto.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto, then the kitchen, then back to Naruto and lastly to Sakura, who was still calling his name. He growling, thinking of how he must look in slack sweats and his bath robe and covered in flour and whatever else they threw at each other. He stormed out of the kitchen, annoyed that they had just walked into his house and were now actually standing inside of it. "What do you want, Sakura?"

"We wanted to…" Her words died on her lips when she saw a messy, floury and half dressed Sasuke exit the kitchen with an equally messy Naruto just behind him. She blinked a couple times and then spoke again, regaining her composure. "W-we decided to throw a party since you two are leaving tomorrow…ah…" She stopped again when the dark haired boy crossed his arms over his chest, flexing his muscles, and leaned against the door frame. Almost every girl was drooling over the sight of his pale chest and dark hair…well, dark hair flecked with flour.

"Well," he grinned, glancing at Naruto, "we did make plenty of food, right dobe?"

Naruto laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Y-yeah…that's true." Everyone else just stared, not really certain what they were talking about, though Kakashi was giving them that weird eye smile that was only used when he was thinking of something perverted.

"Come on, let's get cleaned up." He started towards the stairs and then stopped, glancing at the group behind them. "No one go into the kitchen, and trust me, I'll know."

Everyone looked at each other curiously as the two disappeared upstairs to change. They could already hear Naruto yelling obscenities at Sasuke and a loud 'thump' as Sasuke slammed Naruto to the ground. Most of the people downstairs just shook their heads and chuckled, those two would never change. Sakura clapped her hands and turned to everyone else, smiling slightly. "Well! Let's get this party started!" Five or six others nodded while the teachers decided they would be more help lounging around Sasuke's living room.

* * *

"Naruto, stop pounding on my door and take a shower or I will hurt you." Sasuke growled through the door. He was standing in his room while Naruto pounded on the door, demanding entrance.

"But Sasuke," he whined leaning against the door and Sasuke inwardly groaned, he was getting good at perfecting that whine of his. "I need to clean up!"

"Dobe, there's a bathroom two doors down on the left and your clothes are in your room. Why do you need to be in my room?"

Naruto frowned, "I…I don't know.” He sighed and pushed off the door. "I guess I don't have to be." His voice came out with such apparent disappointment that it surprised Naruto more than Sasuke.

Sasuke shook off own guilt—a guilt he had no reason to experience, he reminded himself—and sighed, "Just hurry up dobe, we don't want to keep them waiting, especially in my house."

"Hai…" Naruto whispered and slowly walked away. He couldn't understand _why_ he felt sad that Sasuke had locked him out and even worse, he was _annoyed_ that others had ruined his fun with Sasuke. Naruto groaned and almost banged his head against the wall; he just put Sasuke and fun in the same sentence!

Stripping off his clothes, he stepped into the shower and quickly washed all the flour and whatever else he had in his hair out, shaking his blonde head vigorously and scrubbing the locks. He let the water flow over his body after that, just savoring in the hot water and steam. It had been his first shower since he fell into a coma two months ago. Even in the week he lived here with Sasuke, he had only doused his hair and washed his face. The first three days, Sasuke had given him a basin of water and a sponge to use since he was still in bed most of the time. Then when he felt safer, he began to wash his hair and face, not wanting to admit the real reason for not showering was because he still didn't want to be naked.

Yet now it was different. Stripping off his clothes still proved an indecisive act for him and he kept glancing around, expecting someone to suddenly jump him, but for the first time he was actually able to stand naked and not shake in terror. It was a secret he had kept from Sasuke, he didn't want the black haired shinobi to worry even more about him, but every time he changed clothes he would begin trembling and twice had broken down crying when he couldn't control his hands. If it got bad enough he couldn't hold anything at all, but on a regular basis he just took twice as long to get dressed.

After what seemed an eternity, Naruto stepped out and shook the water out of his hair before towel drying it. He quickly toweled off and wrapped it around his waist before cautiously opening the door. Naruto frowned, his room was too far away from the shower and he began to quake. _What if someone sees me? What if Sasuke sees me? Will he hate me?_ He stared down at the scars on his wrists and arms, cringing at the memories, and bit his lip. He didn't want anyone to know what he had done, especially Sasuke, if he knew; he'd hate him and throw him out because he was weak.

"Naruto?" The clear voice echoed down the hall and Naruto jumped, turning to look at the one person he wanted to see the least at the moment.

"S-Sasuke…" He stuttered.

The prodigy narrowed his eyes, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" He laughed and darted into his room and then slammed the door before Sasuke could say a word. Inside, Naruto leaned heavily on the door, his head downcast and his eyes fixated on the old scars. He had been desperate then, desperate for anything other than his life and decided any other life would be an improvement over his. That was when the molesting had begun; he must've been ten or eleven when it happened for the first time and it was why he began disappearing on his birthday as that always seemed to be when they were worst.

The first molesting had been just after dark. He had gotten out of school late because Iruka insisted they speak about his life and how he was doing with living alone and being ignored and hated. Iruka was the only soul to ever see the childish mask slip from his face and see the true child behind it—hardened from the hatred and ignorance of the villagers. Naruto, when he actually showed his true emotions could be as ruthless and cold as Itachi, but usually he was just sad and angry and Iruka was the reason Naruto kept trying to improve his life before Sasuke.

After convincing Iruka that he had come to terms with living alone and being hated because of the Kyuubi—yes, Naruto knew about the fox for years though he kept that a secret—he headed home. He couldn't even react when someone grabbed him from behind and dragged him into an alley. He was thrown against the wall, banging his head against the bricks, and felt the calloused hands running up and down his body lightly before someone grabbed his crotch harshly. Naruto yelped in surprise and pain, now out of his daze, and began struggling, but one hand held him against the wall while the other began to massage his crotch. Naruto could do nothing, he didn't know how to use his chakra, let alone the fox's chakra and so he was helpless against the large man. The man kissed him harshly, forcing his tongue into Naruto's mouth and immediately, Naruto bit down. The man cursed in pain and hit Naruto upside the head before stalking off in the opposite direction.

Naruto bit his lip to keep conscious and slowly stumbled home, ignoring the stares and whispers. Once he reached his small apartment, he collapsed on his bed and cried. He didn't know exactly what had happened, but he knew he didn't like it and what the man had done hurt. He wanted the pain to go away and so he grabbed the closest object near him, his shirukin holster, and slit his left wrist. Almost immediately he had felt relief and euphoria as the blood ran down his arm to drip to the floor. He slit his other wrist carefully, slower than the first and watched in avid rapture as the blood flowed up and welled around his wrist before also falling to the floor in a slow constant stream.

Naruto couldn't remember exactly what happened next because he passed out, but he had awakened in the hospital with Iruka next to him, his eyes red from crying and his body heavy with exhaustion. Apparently, Iruka had come to drop off a book he had forgotten at the academy and when Naruto hadn't answered the door, Iruka immediately panicked and forced his way in. He had found Naruto half dead on the floor and covered in blood. He rushed the fox holder to the hospital and had saved his life, but that wasn't the last time he had been molested nor the last time he tried to kill himself.

Though the first time death had not been his intention, he found himself addicted to the feel of death coming for him and so began the cutting. He knew he couldn't cut as deep as he had the first time, but the small shallow cuts that gave him a sliver of that rush he felt the first time and that was enough to keep him going. But the molestings became more frequent and soon Naruto found himself backed into a corner or alley every day and the cutting became more common.

The second time he tried to actually kill himself, he had been pressed against the wall and some man was grinding against him harshly, panting and moaning in his ear with every thrust of his hips. Naruto never fought back, the second time it had happened he had, but just as the beatings, when he fought back it became worse so instead he stood still and let it happen. He retreated back into his mind and tried to block out the harsh grinding, the wandering hands, the tongue slipping into his throat and the humiliation that came with it. Yet this time, Naruto found himself forced to his knees and the man before him suddenly forced his engorged member into the blonde’s mouth.

Naruto stiffened and tried to move away, but the man just grabbed his head and pushed him back down on his shaft, making him deepthroat the man. Naruto gagged, but the man didn't pay any mind as he pushed Naruto against the wall and started thrusting into his mouth. The man was whispering incoherently and soon climaxed much to the young boy's surprise. Then he was being shoved away and beaten by not only the man who molested him, but also by three bystanders.

Naruto limped home and cried again. He didn't want the life he was given and once more grabbed a shirukin and viciously slashed open his wrists. Seconds later, after he saw what he had done, he called Iruka with trembling hands and cried into the phone for help. He couldn't tell Iruka why because all feeling in his fingers disappeared and he dropped the phone while his body crumbled to the floor in a crying heap.

Not even seconds passed before another figure appeared in the room, one that was not Iruka. Naruto immediately began screaming, thinking it was another man coming to molest him or beat him, but the silver haired jounin just smiled and knelt down next to Naruto. Slowly he gathered the blonde into his arms, careful of his wrists and rushed him to the Hokage, knowing the hospital would do nothing for the boy.

That had been his first meeting with Kakashi-sensei and one of the main reasons he was placed on Kakashi's team. Since that day, he had been constantly watched by Kakashi, Iruka and a couple Anbu, but the molestings weren't always stopped and more than once, Naruto found himself having a hard shaft forced into his mouth and then beat until the molesters were satisfied.

The third time had been when they fought Haku. Naruto hadn't moved because he wanted to die, didn't care if he died or not because no one else did, but Sasuke had taken away that pleasure. He had taken away the death Naruto yearned for by jumping in front of him for no reason at all and so instead, Naruto made Haku pay, or had meant to before he saved Zabuza and died.

Naruto was so distraught over the two deaths, Sasuke's confusing behavior and his own yearning for death that he hadn't even thought twice about slitting his wrists again, but he had only slit one wrist before a hand reached out and stopped him. Sad blue eyes gazed into gray and Naruto immediately dropped the bloody shirukin as Kakashi wrapped his damaged wrist.

Kakashi didn't ask why he had done that or who he should see, much to Naruto's relief, but instead, Kakashi made the blonde promise to never attempt suicide again. He thought it wasn't a promise he could keep, but he did promise the jounin that he wouldn't unless his life became so unbearable that death was the only way to feel joyous. Kakashi had accepted the answer, almost understanding why Naruto wanted that, and then walked away, certain Naruto wouldn't try again.

And it was true, those were the only three times Naruto tried to kill himself…at least truly kill himself. He knew Kyuubi wouldn't let him die, but those three times Kyuubi couldn't help him. The first two times because they couldn't fuse their chakra and the third time because he had depleted his chakra reserve to almost nothing. Somehow he kept it a secret that he still continued slitting his wrists and just let Kyuubi heal them before he bled to death, but he had a feeling that Kakashi knew anyways. He wasn't breaking his promise, not entirely, he said he would never try to take his life unless the pain was unbearable, but he never said he would stop cutting.

Naruto sighed, rubbing the old scars and slowly dressed, ignoring the slight tremble in his hand from all the old memories. Even as he slipped on the long sleeved shirt he could see the rapists hovering over him, getting ready to take him again. It was a miracle that Naruto didn't try to kill himself right then, but the promise he made to Kakashi and the friends he had made for the first time in his life kept him from taking his life. He wanted to keep his friends and though he still hated the life he led, he found he didn't _want_ to place the pain of losing a friend on them.

A knock came to the door and Naruto jumped. "Naruto?" Kakashi whispered through the door, "I'm coming in, okay?" He didn't have a chance to say no before his sensei appeared before him. Naruto stumbled back, trying to put as much distance between him and the jounin as possible. "Naruto?"

"J-just stay over there, please." He whispered, his heart rate quickening despite knowing Kakashi was a friend.

"I'm not here to hurt you, I just wanted to check on you. Sasuke said you were acting weird and ran to your room. He was worried."

He smiled, "I'm fine, just…reminiscing." He rubbed his wrists so Kakashi would understand and then walked passed him. "Thanks Kakashi-sensei." He said before walking out.

Dhampir   
Page 8   
2/3/2005

* * *

 **Note:** BIG WARNING TO ALL THAT THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL CONTAIN **RAPE** **FLASHBACK.  
  
** Sometimes I hate my commitment to what I write...I wrote it 15 years ago and I still have trouble reading it, but since I detailed the injuries he suffered, it's a torturous scene--trigger warnings and all people!   
  
I'll hopefully have it up Wednesday, but it's going to take me longer to proofread and edit. You might also see an Itachi/Naruto one-shot appear first ^_^ (Okay, sorta one-shot. It'll be a collection, probably three or four one-shots). 


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluffiness followed by very traumatic memories. 
> 
> Seriously, you've all been warned--when you see the italics, you'll know it's the rape/torture scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes a very detailed and long rape/torture scene. Trigger warnings and all. That part is in italics, so you can skip it. It will not do anything except let you know just how bad Naruto is messed up.
> 
> I had a shot in my neck yesterday, so I can't do much except computer stuff and so I was able to get this edited faster than I thought, but even I skimmed the rape/torture scene. Not sure I could write something like that anymore, but it's part of the original posting, so I'm posting it.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Note:** **THIS IS THE RAPE SCENE CHAPTER**

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Eleven_

Naruto descended the stairs to find Sasuke backing Kiba into a corner with a dark look on his face. Everyone else was slowly backing away from the Uchiha and Naruto almost laughed when he saw the flour footprints on the carpet. Kiba must've entered the kitchen after Sasuke forbade anyone to enter and he did promise he'd know if someone did. Now Kiba was going to pay, but Naruto knew if Sasuke fought then he'd be in a foul mood for the entire night and he'd be the one paying for it at the end.

"Yo! Sasuke! Leave Kiba alone will ya?" He yelled, smiling at everyone from the staircase.

Sasuke turned his glare on the blonde and spat, "Shut up, dobe. I clearly said for no one to enter the kitchen and he did!"

"Well can you blame him? I mean, we came out completely covered in flour and who knows what else, how can you not expect someone to be curious?"

He clenched a fist, "He's tracking flour all over my house!" 

"Kiba, stop backing away and clean the flour off your feet and then go sit down in a corner somewhere, I suggest somewhere not near Sasuke, and Sasuke, cool down. This is a party and we're supposed to be enjoying ourselves, relaxing and having fun, not beating up our friends and comrades." Naruto smiled again and tried to not fidget when he felt more than two pairs of eyes on him. He didn't like crowds anymore and was slowly becoming afraid of the group of people.

Much to everyone's surprise, Sasuke listened to Naruto and stalked off to brood in a different room. "Dobe, come here!" He snapped once he found a chair that didn't annoy him. Naruto sighed and slowly walked over to Sasuke, watching for any warning of an attack from the black haired boy. Once he was before him, Sasuke looked up at him and frowned. "Are you okay?" He whispered so only Naruto heard him. "You rushed off so quickly and I…I wasn't sure if something was wrong or not."

"No, no. I'm fine Sasuke," he grinned, "just memories…if you know what I mean."

"Do they bother you?" Jerking his head towards the group.

"Y-yeah…but I'll be okay."

Sasuke studied him for a couple minutes and then sighed, "If it gets to be too much, tell Kakashi or me and we'll take care of it, okay?"

He nodded.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Then Sasuke stood up, "Good. Now then, let's get that food out here and hope everyone dies of food poisoning."

"Sasuke!" He whined, following the shinobi into the kitchen. "Just because I made it doesn't mean it'll poison everyone and wishing that on everyone isn't very nice."

"And when have I been nice?" He smirked. "Never."

Naruto smiled sweetly, "That's not completely true…I have some good stories about the nice, sweet, talkative Sasuke." 

"If you breathe a word of that to anyone,” he deadpanned with a glare, “I’ll kill you."

That only made Naruto grin, "Oh, my lips are sealed shut."

"Then take this and get out of here." He growled, shoving different dishes into Naruto's hands and turning away before he could even see if Naruto could handle it. Surprisingly, Naruto handled it quite well and gracefully walked back into the other room and set them on the dining room table.

"Hey! Why isn't Naruto getting threatened with a painful death for tracking flour through the house?" Kiba yelled from the couch.

"Because I told him he could go into the kitchen." Sasuke answered, carrying another four dishes. "And I told you _not_ to."

"Yup! I'm special." Naruto laughed and ran back into the kitchen to grab the other four dishes while Sasuke brought out sake and a couple other kinds of drinks.

"Of course you are dobe, that's why you're an idiot."

"Teme!" Naruto growled before tackling Sasuke to the ground after he set down the drinks.

Sasuke had him pinned quickly, "Remember Naruto, this is a party and we're supposed to be enjoying ourselves, relaxing and having fun, not fighting with our friends and comrades."

"Hmph." Naruto pouted, looking away.

"Come on dobe." He said, pulling the blonde up easily. Almost everyone fell silent at the kind gesture coming from the usually stoic heir and immediately the two boys noticed the attention directed at them. Sasuke glared and crossed his arms, " _What?_ "

No one spoke, but most of the senseis were smiling and glancing at each other. Naruto looked back and forth before shrugging and walking off to talk with Hinata and Kiba while Sasuke sat down in one of the chairs and ignored everyone.

The 'small' party passed slowly with games, food, jokes, stories and even some jutsus shown by the senseis. While Naruto spoke with everyone and tried to act normal, Sasuke brooded in a corner, not speaking, not eating and only glaring at anyone who dared approach him. The only person insane enough to was Sakura and all she received was an occasional "Hn," or glare. Naruto was really the only one who could get a rise out of the emotionless shinobi and he often did, yelling to Sasuke to do something other than sit there all night and though Sasuke glared, he'd at least respond.

Much to Naruto's surprise, everyone actually liked the food he cooked and no one got sick—at least immediately. He glanced around the room with Hinata, Kiba, Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji next to him and smiled at the drinking game going on between Gai and Kakashi. He tried to ignore the other people around him, but as the day turned towards the night, Naruto found his senses heightening and his fears taking hold of him. Suddenly everyone just seemed too close to him and he was finding it difficult to breathe, as if the air had been sucked out around him. He closed his eyes and tried to regulate his breathing while the voices became louder and too much for him to handle.

Sasuke glanced around the room. Kakashi and Gai were already drunk, his house was a mess, trash was everywhere, Sakura was still trying to talk to him, he was certain Kiba had broken something by now and Naruto was on the other side of the room. He was not pleased with the way Sakura's party was turning out. He had actually been looking forward to spending the day with Naruto and then packing up after reviewing their scrolls, but now they couldn't and they needed to leave early tomorrow morning. He glared at the nearest person to him, which was Iruka-sensei, and then scanned the room for his blonde-headed friend.

He immediately stood up when he saw the way Naruto was glancing around, almost frantic, and how his breathing had become more erratic. "Naruto…" he whispered and then sprinted across the room, either dodging people or pushing them out of the way, to Naruto's side. By the time he reached him, Naruto was beginning to shake and a sob was caught in his throat. "Kakashi-sensei!" He yelled and immediately his teacher looked up, completely sober. One look at Naruto and Sasuke conveyed his meaning and suddenly the three of them were gone. Sasuke had grabbed Naruto briefly and transported them to the bridge while their sensei arrived seconds later, already serious.

The silver-haired jounin stared at Naruto and then glanced at Sasuke. "What happened?"

"I don't know," he whispered, "I just noticed that he took a turn for the worst and got him out of there. I think there were just too many people around him and it began to scare him."

Kakashi nodded. "That could be true."

"His memories…could they be resurfacing again?" Sasuke asked hesitantly and looked at Naruto, who was now sobbing on the ground, muttering incoherently.

The silver haired jounin ran a calculating eye over Naruto. "They aren't resurfacing Sasuke, they already have and he’s stuck in his own nightmare."

“Damn it! The party was too much, I knew it!” He growled, incensed that they ruined everything. “Kyuubi! Can you help? _Kyuubi!_ ”

But either the fox was ignoring them or couldn’t because they could only watch as Naruto let out a terrifying scream that suddenly silenced as a gargling sound replaced it. Kakashi moved thinking the blonde was choking, but then suddenly Naruto was dragging in ragged breaths, tears trailing down his face as another cry left him.

"How do we stop this?" Sasuke asked, his voice void of any emotion. He didn't like seeing Naruto scared and crying, it didn't fit him. Sasuke was used to the cheerful, smiling dobe he used to see everyday and it almost scared _him_ how different Naruto had become.

Kakashi crouched down close next to Naruto, but immediately backed off when Naruto cried out and shuffled away in fear, throwing his arms up to protect himself. "I don't think we can…"

Sasuke refused to accept that and slowly approached the crying blonde. "Naruto, it's okay. It's over, remember? You're letting your memories take hold of you again and I know you're stronger than this Naruto, you're much stronger. You never let anything best you, don't let this win!"

* * *

_Naruto just finished his training and man, was he glad! The mission they had that day was hard enough and the little sparring match between he and Sasuke had drained most of his chakra, but still, he wanted to train some on his own. After two or three hours, he finally decided to head home, taking his usual route on the outskirts of town to avoid the molesters that lurked in the alleys. It didn't always work and he still often found himself cornered by a couple men who forced him to either give them blow jobs or hand jobs, unfortunately usually the first and for multiple people. Yet he was used to it now, almost seven years and still no one had managed to stop the molestings, not even Kakashi and Iruka. And it was always the same men, always the three men who he saw every day in town and yet was unable to say anything against them. He knew he would never be believed, he was the damn Kyuubi monster that was evil and only good for murder. Oh Kakashi and Iruka believed him and the Hokage did try, but they couldn't just kill them, no the offense wasn't great enough yet. Kakashi was usually gone, Iruka was usually too busy with schoolwork and the ninjas who were supposed to protect him rarely did._

_After the first two years, he had completely given up reporting them, if Kakashi or Iruka asked him about it, he always said he had taken care of it or there were none. It was easier to cover up now because he trained more and was always coming home with cuts and bruises. No one suspected anything except when Kakashi came to his rescue, but that was rare now…not since he was seventeen. He hadn't spoken a word about the molesting sessions in over four years and soon no one watched him at all._

_So, Naruto chose to walk around Konoha rather than through it to his home. He looked up at the half moon and grinned, nights like this were the ones he liked most. Though most people thought he was like day always cheerful and bright, he loved night and everything about it. The moon most of all. He couldn't explain why…he just did and sometimes walked alone on nights when the moon was full, but only when he was certain it was safe._

_"Fuck! I forgot I told Iruka I'd stop by!" Naruto suddenly cursed out and turned around to make his way back towards the training grounds. Yet instead of seeing his path, he saw four masked men blocking his way. Naruto stumbled back and fell in surprise, "W-what do you want?" He asked, though he already knew it wasn’t good._

_"You've plagued us long enough demon." One man growled and before Naruto could move, he was jerked up and turned around, giving them time to tie his hands behind his back before he could react. Then his eyes were covered with his hiatie and someone threw him to the ground again._

_Naruto cried out when his shoulder made contact with the rocky ground, but he knew better than to struggle. Struggling always made it worse, always. There was never a time when struggling actually saved him…maybe it would save him for a day or so, but then it'd be worse the next time, much worse. Best let it happen and be on his way than fight them. Anyways, if he did fight them and actually managed to hurt them, they would tell Hokage that he attacked them and that Kyuubi was taking over. Then Tsunade would turn against him along with his friends, teammates and sensei and he'd be driven out of the village. "Please don't do this…" He begged._

_A foot connected with his ribcage and Naruto cried out again, "I remember saying those same words seventeen years ago and you didn't listen then demon! Why should we do the same for you?"_

_"B-but I'm not…I'm not Kyuubi!" He said and another blow was delivered to his ribs._

_"Sure you're not. Then why did Sasuke leave the village, demon? You drove him away and caused him to attack his own people! It's all your fault!"_

_"No! I didn't do that."_

_Someone stepped on his throat, slowly applying pressure and cutting off his oxygen. "Sure you didn't. Just like you didn't turn the Third Hokage and even the Fifth is under your control! How can you have both their ears if not for your demon work?"_

_Naruto still refused to struggle and just silently cried, slowly trying to remove his hands from the bonds without alerting them, but he still couldn't breathe and began to choke. Then suddenly air flowed into his lungs and Naruto coughed, turning on his side to breathe better._

_"Dying like that would be too compassionate for a murderer like you." He felt the slack from the rope disappear and suddenly he was being dragged along the road and his arms were being pulled awkwardly as they dragged him by his bound wrists._

_"Please! It hurts!" He cried out again, but his plea fell on deaf ears and he soon tried to relax his body and let them drag him along the road. He wasn't even given the chance to find his feet and walk behind him, no, he knew they wanted him to be dragged and even if he tried to find his footing, he knew they'd just kick his feet out from under him._

_The rocks stung and bit into his flesh, ripping his orange uniform to shreds and leaving it bloody and holey. He almost sighed when he felt the grass move under his bruised and cut body, the cool dew running over him softly. Kyuubi was trying his best to keep up with the numerous bruises and cuts and heal them and the grass helped him catch up as no new cuts were created. Yet their rest was short lived when the first of the burrs and sticks attacked his already sensitive skin. He sobbed when the four men dragged him through thorn bushes, making certain the thorns caught in his skin and pulled._

_For once, he was glad he was blindfolded because he didn't want to see his pitiful state, bleeding, bruised and shaking. He still didn't know what the men wanted with him, but he was afraid to find out because he had a feeling these men meant to kill him. Sure, people had threatened him and molested him, but never had someone actually tried to kill him._

_The men suddenly stopped and Naruto could hear the running water vaguely through his already painful headache. Someone chuckled lowly, meaning he was quite close to him, and whispered in his ear, "I wonder…can demons swim?"_

_Naruto froze, trying to register what the man was saying, and didn't even react as someone picked him up roughly by his shoulders. Suddenly he was dropped and engulfed by frigid water pulling him down. Naruto struggled against the ropes and began kicking his feet, trying to surface, but he couldn't see which way he was swimming. He felt the current begin to pull him and tried to follow it, but the bonds suddenly jerked and pulled him back._

_He breathed out the last of his oxygen and tried desperately to reach the surface again. He didn't want to die by drowning…he didn't care if it was by an enemy or by his own choosing, but he didn't want to die at the hands of his own people! Yet nothing he did worked and he soon felt the burning pain in his chest, the sensation that came when there was no more oxygen his body could use. His movements slowed and soon his body became limp as the burning continued to rip through his body and darkness began to claim his mind. He could feel his brain slowly shutting down, how everything became less real and more numb and he soon felt, saw and heard nothing._

_"The damn monster's trying to die on us early!" Someone shouted and kicked Naruto in the groin, but Naruto couldn't even make a sound. He was unaware of his surroundings and couldn't remember exactly what was going on. All he knew was his head ached, he was cold and wet, his body was sore everywhere and now his groin hurt. "Wake up demon."_

_Naruto started at the name and gasped, coughing up water. His body felt so heavy as the memories of the night returned and he brought in labored breaths of oxygen. He silently prayed someone would find him, someone would be on a routine check around Konoha—if they were in Konoha—and see them. Someone would stop this, someone would care about him enough to save him…right?_

_"Good, not dead yet." Someone laughed._

_He opened his mouth to ask where he was when he was interrupted by a scalding pain through his leg. Instead of a question leaving his mouth, a scream tore from within him and he could feel the bone breaking underneath the pressure, he could hear the metal scratching against the ground and bone and he could smell, almost taste, the blood now spilt upon the ground. His blood. His own blood was being spilt and yet he could do nothing._

_"Damn brat! Always was too loud." Someone else said and shoved his hiatie into his mouth, letting his frantic eyes now see the four men looming over him. He couldn't move his right leg anymore, the pain being too much to bear, but nothing prepared him when one man ripped his blade through his abdomen harshly. Another scream tore from his throat, but this time it was muffled by his hiatie. He could feel Kyuubi stirring angrily as he tried to comfort Naruto and heal the wounds. His abdomen healed quickly and he could feel the bones beginning to mend in his leg, but it would still be a couple hours before he could walk again._

_Looking about frantically, he saw the four masked men staring at his exposed abs and watching as the skin and muscle knitted back together before their eyes. Someone landed a kick to his side and Naruto let out a pained gasp as the air was forced from his lungs. "Stop using the demon fox or we'll just hurt you more. We can drag this out for days, demon, and no one cares enough about you to search for you, no one would miss you and no one will come for you. We can torture you and no one would even notice you left."_

_Naruto cried silently, knowing what the man said was true. No one did care about him…at least enough to actually wonder what happened to him. Maybe he would be a passing thought, but there was no one who would send out a search party for him or even really care that he was dead. He had lived his seventeen years of life in utter solitude and only Iruka, Kakashi and the two Senins ever thought to check on him, but even that was rare now._

_"Aw, so you know it too." The man said and Naruto knew he was smiling. All he could do was nod mutely and even when he felt the next pain lance through him from his shoulder, he didn't cry out. He didn't make a single noise because no one would hear him and no one would care. So then what was the point in crying out if it brought no one?_

_"Well this should make it easier on us." Another said._

_"No!" The one to Naruto's right said. "He must suffer first. He wants to die, maybe he finally sees what he is…but he can't be allowed to die this easily."_

_The others seemed to think about this as Naruto writhed beneath them in pain. Silent tears streaked his face as he watched the monkey, tiger, elephant and dragon men talk between each other. Finally Dragon beckoned the others to stop their bickering and looked down at Naruto. "He is just a child and I think he does understand what he is…but we cannot allow him to go unpunished."_

_Naruto was flipped on his back and another two blades protruded from his other shoulder and thigh as someone else slowly untied his hands and began to break each finger one at a time. He flinched and whimpered every time he heard a finger snap, but Kyuubi tried his best to heal them quickly. But that just angered the man and made him break the fingers again and instead, more than once. The four wounds he now had were beginning to heal and a reddish tint began to glow around him, but the men didn't seem to care or didn't notice. Either way, they knew Naruto wouldn't try anything, they knew he couldn't when it came to the villagers; he just couldn't hurt them, no matter how much they hurt him. Anyways, they had been watching him for some time and watched as he easily submitted to the molestings and forced oral sex and knew Naruto was really broken inside. That he was easy to manipulate through pain and memories and that he was already under the power of anyone who asserted their sexual dominance over him. Maybe that was Kyuubi breaking through, but he couldn't bring himself to hurt someone of his own village nor defend himself against the molestings._

_He suddenly began to shiver and Naruto vaguely noted his pants had been removed through the pain and weakly turned his head to see why. One man dragged him up to his knees and dropped his own pants. Naruto looked up in confusion, but got the point when the man removed his hiatie and said "Suck me off demon." Hesitantly Naruto did as he was told, holding back tears of pain and humiliation, but nothing prepared him for the searing pain in his behind. His entire body froze with pain and he tried to pull away from the man before him, but Monkey grabbed his hair painfully and dragged him back down onto his cock. Someone else grabbed his hips and the searing pain came back, with even more force than before. Naruto let out a whimper of pain, closing his eyes tightly to keep back the tears, but it didn't work. The dry, burning pain in his back slowly became slicker and he could hear his blood dripping to the ground as Monkey bobbed his head making Naruto take his entire length into his mouth. Being used to deepthroating, Naruto was able to avoid choking, but the new pain from his back was something he never experienced and he kept crying out every time the pain returned, worse than before._

_"You know you like this demon." Someone whispered from behind him, licking his ear. “We’ve watched you happily suck off any man who comes your way.” Suddenly Monkey climaxed and Naruto swallowed as he held his head on him until he finished. Then Monkey stepped away and Naruto found himself prostrate on the ground and another weight falling on top of him. He clenched his teeth and gripped the grass painfully as another shot of pain entered him. He felt the body behind him moving and every time the body moved forward the pain returned and every time the body moved back, the pain receded just a little. His body cringed and he closed his eyes, ignoring the grunts and moans the man was making as he thrust into him again. He understood now what the man was doing and began to sob._

_"Oh God…you're so tight." The man moaned and pushed in once more before Naruto felt his body tighten with release. Semen poured out between his thighs and the weight lifted, but he was in such pain and fear that even though he wasn't being held, he still couldn't move._

_"Why?" He whispered, barely audible. "Why are you doing this to me?" He ripped at the grass with his hands and turned to them sharply, "I'm not Kyuubi! I didn't kill anyone!"_

_One of them chuckled and advanced on him. "You didn't kill anyone demon? The child you overtook may have been innocent at one point, but there is no way that child could stay good while such an evil lived inside of him! We know the child no longer exists inside of you and all that remains is you, demon."_

_"The only demons I see are you four." He growled, but his mask was slowly crumbling again and the fear was beginning to show._

_Another laughed as Tiger knelt down beside him. Naruto flipped over on his back and painfully tried to move away, using his injured limbs to move, but the ache in his lower back and ass kept him practically grounded. "I think you have too much spirit still demon. For corrupting a child and murdering all those good people seventeen years ago, you will suffer." Tiger whispered and unbuckled his pants, dropping them silently. He removed his mask and descended on Naruto, grabbing him painfully by the shoulders and thrusting in, ripping the soft tissue inside his already bleeding and torn passage._

_Naruto yelped at the burning pain and began to cry again as Tiger's grip tightened on his shoulders, the nails cutting into his flesh. "Please," he sobbed, "please…stop, i-it hurts!"_

_Tiger just ignored him and not even waiting for Naruto to adjust to him, set a steady thrusting pace, rocking Naruto against him and pressing his hips into the grass. He let out a lust filled moan as he felt Naruto's muscles tighten around him reflexively._

_“How…ugh…how can you be so tight?” Tiger whispered to him, letting his head drop on Naruto’s chest. “I can feel you all around me, so tight.” He moaned and thrust deeper. Naruto gasped at the deeper intrusion and spread his legs, trying to make the pain go away, but that just spurred the man on. The thrusting became harder and faster, making Naruto cry even more. “Even after him, you’re still—nnh—unbelievably tight!” Tiger groaned and bit his neck, causing Naruto to yelp in surprise. He felt the man biting his way downward and soon encircled a nipple into his mouth, biting down softly before applying more pressure._

_Naruto sucked in a deep breath when he felt the skin around his nipple give and blood began to drip down his side._ Kyuubi… _He whispered inside him mind, but he knew the fox couldn’t do anything for him. All he could feel were the man’s teeth raking over his body, the hands holding down his slim frame painfully and the thrusting of the man’s hips as he pushed inside of him._

_“Nnh,” he panted, “I would love t-to…oh God!...keep you as a pet.” Tiger pushed Naruto’s legs apart and lifted one up so he could thrust deeper, letting his entire length disappear inside of him. “Ugh, ugh, ugh…” He chanted, pushing deeper, faster, harder every time he thrust in. Ignoring Naruto’s cries of pain, Tiger kept driving into him until the tightness was too much and he shot his load into him with an almost animalistic growl into his ear. Tiger bit the lobe gently before pushing away and stumbling back from exhaustion. “You two have got to try the whore, he’s so tight, even after two rounds.” He laughed._

_Naruto stared up at them with terrified eyes as the other two advanced on him, their masks already forgotten and an evil glint in their dark eyes. “I think we will.” One whispered and twice more, Naruto was raped, one right after the other. Even after he was lying broken on the ground with blood and semen seeping from within him, Tiger decided he wanted to take him again._

_The man leaned close and told him to get on his hands and knees before thrusting back into him and making Naruto cringe. “I must have you one more time before we kill you.” He laughed, but by now, Naruto could no longer feel anything and the man’s cock pushing deeper than ever before barely registered in his mind. Yet the humiliation of being so weak and stupid that he’d get raped five times kept him crying and a wreck._

_“Come on demon,” Tiger groaned, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling Naruto up into his thrusts harshly. “Scream for me.”_

_Naruto just whimpered and dug his fingers into the ground when he heard the slap of flesh against flesh. He felt the jerk as the man pulled him up again as he thrust down into him._

_“Scream you little whore! Let me hear you voice your pleasure, you know you like this.”_

_“N-no.” He whispered brokenly._

_Tiger laughed and thrust in again, making Naruto’s arms buckle beneath him. “Get up! I said on your hands and knees.” He growled and Naruto did as he was told painfully. “Much better.” His hands moved to his hips and he rocked Naruto forward before pulling him back again, “Ahh. Yeah, just like that, right demon?” He whispered as he thrust in again. “Scream for me.” He said again and pressed his slick chest against his back. “Scream like a good little whore and it’ll end sooner.”_

_Naruto swallowed and screamed as he was told, though he loathed his weakness._

_He groaned and thrust in harder, “Again!”_

_So he did again and again, every time the man asked him to scream, he did, every time he asked him to beg, he did and it drove him on. His thrusting became brutal and insatiable, his hands bruised his hips and he kept commanding him to do something with a groan. Naruto forced himself to stay on his hands and knees, the man yelled at him every time he fell and promised to make it longer each time he fell. His body rocked with the man’s thrusts and he cried out as he knew he should, even if he couldn’t feel the man’s cock slipping out of his raw ass with each thrust._

_“You’re a damn good whore,” he moaned and ran his hands over Naruto’s body before grabbing his hips again and bringing Naruto up to meet him. “And_ so _tight!” He muttered before slamming harshly into him again. The brutal thrusting continued and soon Naruto’s voice grew hoarse until he couldn’t even cry out anymore, which let him hear the man’s labored breaths as he worked over him and moans with each thrust._

_“Tell me how much you like this.” He whispered into his ear._

_Naruto whimpered._

_Tiger thrust in again, rocking Naruto upwards slightly. “Come on, tell me!” He commanded._

_He knew what the man wanted, he had heard it often enough when he was getting molested, but he didn’t want to say such things. Yet the man dug his fingers painfully into his hips and commanded him again to say it. “M-more.” He said, just above a whisper._

_“What was that demon?” He asked._

_“More.” Naruto said louder as tears trailed down his cheeks._

_“Come on, I know you can do better than that!” He growled, and pushed in again._

_“H-harder…Fuck me harder!” He said and was rewarded with a groan and harsh thrust._

_“Like that whore?”_

_“Just like that, more! Give me more!” He cried, “Ride me hard, come on, deeper!”_

_“Oh yeah…ugh…” Tiger panted and groaned as he pushed in._

_“Make me yours, show me who’s in charge. F-fuck me rough and pound me into the ground.” Naruto said huskily._

_“God you’re good.” He said, rutting over him. He would barely pull out before slamming back into him, rocking his hips upward with each trust. This time when his arms gave out, Tiger didn’t say anything except a grunt and change his angle. “Keep going whore.”_

_Naruto felt his face being rubbed against the ground, his ass still in the air, but closed his eyes and began again. “Just like that baby, harder. I like it rough and hard! Oh, fuck me man, fuck me! Oh! Ram that thing inside, I wanna feel you so deep.” The man let out a deep moan and began thrusting harder, just like Naruto was asking for. “Make me bleed and leave me panting…harder. Harder! Faster! Come on, oh God! More, just like that baby, you’re my master and I need to be taught a lesson. Fuck, fuck, fuck, oh God yeah!”_

_He grunted, pressing his drenched clothing against Naruto’s and dropped his head to his shoulder. “Yeah…ugh, just like that, right?” He wasn’t even fucking him anymore, just humping him and rocking his hips upward instead of pulling out._

_“J-just like that.” He whispered to the ground._

_“Tell me how you like it demon?”_

_“Hard and rough.”_

_“Is this rough enough for you?” He whispered, expecting a negative._

_“No.” He cried._

_“Oh really?” Tiger pulled out and slammed in hard, grunting with his labor. “Is that better?”_

_“No.”_

_He pressed Naruto to the ground and began fucking him rough and fast, not caring if he was rubbing his body against the ground harshly or not. “Fuck yeah! Just like this, you’re so_ fucking _tight!”_

_“That’s how I like it,” he lied, “show me no mercy!”_

_“Oh, I’ll fuck you raw you little whore.” He grunted, pulling him up again and then slamming him roughly into the ground with his thrust. “I’ll leave you so raw you’ll feel it after your dead.” Though Naruto was screaming for him to continue and plunder his body, he cried silently, praying it would soon be over or someone would find him—though he knew both were absurd prayers._

_After Tiger climaxed for the second time, he let Naruto fall to the ground in a crying heap. “Let’s finish this up and get rid of this demon.” He ordered, looking once more at Naruto, sighing at the boy’s almost unconscious state. “Sorry kid, but like I said, no one can escape such evil as that fox possesses. Maybe we’ll all go to hell, but at least I know my children, family and friends will be safe from the likes of you.”_

_Naruto barely had time to breathe before metal was cutting into his back, once… then twice, then thrice and still more. He was barely alive and yet Kyuubi kept him going so they could both live. He even apologized for being selfish and wanting to live even though Naruto would suffer greatly. Yet he understood the desire to live that Kyuubi felt. He had lived for centuries and even though he knew he would die along with Naruto, he still wanted to live out the rest of his life._

_When he screamed out, he felt warm metal enter his throat, severing his vocal cords. He was certain he’d die then, but Kyuubi healed his windpipe and demanded he keep breathing. When he struggled against them, his stomach was cut open and someone jammed their kunai into his innards, cutting and ripping at them. Yet again, Kyuubi tried to heal him, just enough to keep him alive while the men continued. Though the men kept stabbing and breaking him until they were certain he was dead, Kyuubi slowly healed the wounds on and in his body, trying desperately to keep Naruto alive and keep the men from knowing it. Naruto was barely conscious when he heard the men walk away; laughing at how great he was while they tortured him, barely putting up a fight at all._

_He knew he was weak, he had been broken for so many years and would’ve snapped years before this if it hadn’t been for Kakashi, Iruka, Sakura and…Sasuke. He hated to admit it, but especially Sasuke. It was he who pushed Naruto and made him_ want _to live if just to show him up. Sasuke became his inspiration, even though every insult he said cut right through him to his soul._

_Naruto wished he could curl up and hug himself, but everything hurt…everything hurt too much, even living. He wanted to die right then, death was undoubtedly better than the life he was living right now. People spoke of hell and heaven, but as far as he knew, he was already in hell and could go no lower. He closed his eyes and willed himself to die and finally end the hell he had not even been living. No, he wasn’t living. He may be alive, he may be breathing, he may talk, think, eat, drink and sleep, but he did not live. No one could call what he did living and anyone who saw passed his mask_ , knew _he did not live._

_He begged Kyuubi to let him die, to just let him end the suffering, but the fox refused, saying there was always something worth living for, something he could hang onto and make into a life. But Naruto found nothing, he was ultimately alone for the rest of his life, what could there be to live for? No one lived for him and his dream of being Hokage…that he used to live for, but that was just a fantasy he had concocted when he was too young to face the truth. The truth that he would never be anything other than a monster, a demon, and a murderer in the eyes of the people…and for that matter, in his own eyes. “Please Kyuubi…just let me die!”_

_“Naruto…” Someone whispered his name, so softly it almost sounded like the voice was concerned._

_“W-who’s there?” He asked in a hushed voice._

_“Naruto, it’s okay. It’s over, remember?” The voice said._

_“It’s over? Sasuke…?”_

_“You’re letting your memories take hold of you again and I know you’re stronger than this Naruto, you’re much stronger. You never let anything best you, don’t let this win!”_

_He frowned despite the pain, “Letting my memories take…hold of me?”_

_“You have to wake up!”_

_“Sasuke? Sasuke, w-where are you?”_

_“Please, you must wake up Naruto, before this kills you, please!”_

_Naruto closed his eyes and let the darkness engulf him. Sasuke began to sound desperate and he wanted to believe that someone actually cared about him. Sasuke said this was his memories and he couldn’t let them take hold of his mind and body. It didn’t feel like a memory to him, but he decided to trust Sasuke, even if he doubted him. He tried to forget everything around him, everything that could be real or not and focus on just Sasuke. Finding Sasuke, hearing him, seeing him, feeling him, smelling him and anything else Naruto could sense of him. As long as he could find Sasuke, Naruto knew he’d be okay in the end._

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes and screamed when he saw the two figures looming over him. "Please! Don't hurt me! I-I didn't hurt anyone, I didn't!" He cried, pushing away from them and trying to keep a distance between them. "I'll do whatever you want, hand job, blow job, you can even choke me, but please, d-don't…don't hurt me again." He almost whispered the last part and the two figures froze.

Sasuke glanced at Kakashi in shock. Not at what he said, but at the sincerity in his voice. He was ready to do those things as long as they didn't hurt him and Sasuke felt anger boil up within him, but as he looked down at Naruto, tear streaked and shaking, his sudden anger disappeared and he knelt down. "Naruto, we're not going to hurt you. It's us, me and Kakashi-sensei."

"Sasuke…" Naruto breathed and suddenly launched himself at the crouched figure, bringing them both down to the ground. "Sasuke, please, don't let them hurt me again!"

Slowly, Sasuke brought his hands up and smoothed the back of Naruto's shirt, softly rubbing his back while his other hand encircled his waist. "No one's going to hurt you if I have anything to say about it." He vowed. "It's over Naruto, they're gone and dead, you don't have anything to fear now and I'm here, I'll keep you safe."

"Promise?" He whispered after a moment, his soft hiccupping sobs deafening loud in the quiet around them.

"Promise."

"Don't leave me Sasuke, please don't.” Naruto said, his mind finally coming back to the present enough to comprehend, “I don't want to go back to the party…I-I can't handle them right now."

"Then we won't go back." He answered simply and pulled them both to the bridge side. Sasuke sat up and leaned against the railings while he propped Naruto up on his chest, one arm around his shoulders while the other rubbed his arm. "We'll stay here until you think you can handle it, no matter how long it takes."

"Thank you." He whispered, suddenly exhausted and now feeling safe, his eyes drooped heavily with sleep.

"Any time, dobe."

Kakashi watched the two boys, smiling softly. As much as the other might not want to admit it, those two needed each other, more than they thought. Both had faced hardships throughout their lives that no one else had ever had to in such a short amount of time. "Sasuke," he said, no hint of humor in his voice, "take care of him, okay?"

The black haired shinobi just nodded, never taking his eyes off Naruto.

"He means more to this village than he knows." He whispered before walking away back towards Sasuke's house. He almost lost his student before he could tell him how much he was worth to him, how no one and nothing could ever replace him, and he almost lost that chance. Thinking over it, he decided maybe he should tell a certain chunin just how much he was worth to him as well before he lost that chance forever. "He means more to me than he knows." He said to the night before entering Sasuke's house.

Walking in, everyone stopped and looked at the Copy-nin. Sakura was the first to jump up and ask him what had happened and where Sasuke and Naruto had disappeared to. "Oh, they're around…somewhere." He said cheerfully before passing her by. He scanned the room for Iruka and when he found his love across the room watching him, he knew he had to do it now. Carefully he crossed the room until he stood just a breadth away from him. Pulling down his mask, he gently pulled Iruka to him and kissed him with all the passion he felt for the chunin. "I don't care anymore, Iruka, I love you and fuck who knows."

"K-Kakashi?" He stuttered, turning red in the face as Kakashi grabbed him into a hug.

"We almost lost Naruto before he knew people cared for him and loved him; I didn't want the same thing to happen to you." He whispered, tightening his hold on him.

Iruka smiled while everyone just stared at the two men, "I love you too koi."

Shikamaru frowned, he really didn't care about the two senseis' relationship, but what Kakashi said tuned him into something more than they knew. "What do you mean we almost lost Naruto? I know about the attack at the festival, but…that wasn't severe enough that he almost died."

Kakashi turned to him, pulling his mask back up and then looked around the room at the other ninjas. They were all waiting for his answer, but Kakashi knew it wasn't his place to say. "We did almost lose Naruto…prior to the festival attack, but it is not my choice whether or not you are to know. This is something only a handful of people know, a handful of people Naruto chose and it is his choice which friends he trusts with his entire soul and which he does not."

"Naruto's been acting strangely lately, he's not as loud, not as talkative and he doesn't even liked to be touched anymore." Shikamaru pressed. "What happened to him that would completely change his personality?"

Kakashi cocked his head, "Are you certain his personality changed, Shikamaru? Or was it just a mask?"

"Something happened…it's just too troublesome to figure out."

"None of you have any right to know what happened to Naruto." Sasuke growled from behind them. Everyone turned to look at the rain soaked Sasuke and sleeping Naruto in his arms. "Don't talk about him as if he's just gossip because he's not. Now, will you all leave? I think you've done enough damage to him as it is and we have a mission that we must pack for."

"What happened to Naruto?" Iruka asked, only Kakashi’s arms around him held him back from rushing up to the two boys.

Sasuke shifted the sleeping blonde as he kicked his shoes off. "He had a…" he paused, glancing at everyone else and then continued, "relapse. It wore him out." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Shikamaru frown, but he didn't give anyone a chance to speak. "It began raining outside so I brought him in, but I want everyone out now. We both need our rest, Naruto more than I, and a party's just not helping much." He then irritably added, "Thank you and we'll see you sometime in the future…I don't know how long we'll be gone." Then he disappeared upstairs to Naruto's room, laying the blonde on the bed.

Downstairs he could hear everyone shuffling about, picking up their dishes and whatever else they brought and leaving before Sasuke brought down his wrath upon them. Yet Kakashi and Iruka stayed after, waiting until everyone left and then joining Sasuke in Naruto's room.

"Will he be okay?" Iruka asked as Sasuke threw the blankets over the prone blonde.

Kakashi put a reassuring arm around him, "I think he will be. It's nothing much to worry about koi, just too many people for him to handle."

Iruka sighed, "I wish this never happened to him. He used to love crowds because it just meant more people watching when he did something outrageous."

"I know, but he'll be okay in the end, just you watch."

"But he'll be gone for so long!" He cried. "Tsunade-sama told me about the mission and they could be gone for years…I just…I'm not ready to let my Naruto leave yet."

Kakashi chuckled, "You sound like a mother, Iruka. Don't worry, Sasuke will be there and they'll both be fine and when Naruto comes back, he'll be better. Now let's go home and let the boys get some rest, okay?" Iruka didn't respond, but nodded and wrapped his arms around Kakashi's neck, afraid to speak. "Good luck Sasuke and remember, take care of him."

Sasuke nodded, "I will" Then the two teachers were gone in a wisp of smoke. The black haired boy turned around and moved the strands of wet hair out of his face before giving a small smirk to Naruto and turning away for his own room. "Sleep well Naruto." Then, turning the light off, he retreated to his room for sleep. Already, he was moving the pillows away and pulling back the covers, knowing tonight Naruto would join him in his bed at exactly four a.m. Smirking, he closed his eyes and yawned before turning to sleep.

**Dhampir**   
**Page 15**   
**2/9/2005**

* * *

Don't kill me? Please? I promise it gets happier eventually!! ...then sad again >_> But then happy again!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you need something happier to read now, go read my fic Scrabble--just a bit of Gundam Wing fun ^_~ 
> 
> I need to write some more happier things if I've only got one fic that's happy...


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please be aware, when this was written there were only ONE season of Naruto out, so I completely made up various hidden villages and such.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Note:** Rape, OOC and Sasu-Naru later.

* * *

**Living A Lie  
** _Chapter Twelve_

"Sasuke, why do you keep this up?" Naruto asked as he watched the shinobi pack the last of their things. Sasuke refused to let the blonde pack, remembering what he usually packed and in excess…

He cocked an eyebrow and glanced over his shoulder. "What do you mean dobe?"

"I mean…why do you keep pulling me out of my torture, keep me grounded and even let me sleep in your bed in the middle of the night?"

"Because you're my friend Naruto, and it really doesn't bother me all that much. I like having someone I can talk to, someone other than me living in my house and I like helping you. Now that I've bested Itachi, my life really had no meaning, but you showed me that it can." He smiled, "Haven't you noticed how much more I talk, how much more open I am now than before and how I smile sometimes instead of smirking?"

"Yeah…" He nodded.

"That's because of you."

Naruto looked at him in surprise. "B-but I didn't do anything."

Sasuke threw his pack over his shoulder and turned towards the window. The sun was just rising and they needed to be gone before the sun rose over the horizon. "Maybe that's what you think…but I know for a fact you did more than you believe Naruto. Much more and I'm not the only one you affected. Neji, Sakura, Kakashi, Tsunade—she never would've become Hokage if not for you—and Iruka, he's told me how before you his life was so bland and repetitive. So many people have been touched by you, Hinata even believes in herself because of you Naruto, how can you say you haven't done anything?"

Naruto looked down and turned his face away. "But I've done so much evil also Sasuke. Half their lives would've been easier if not for me and think of all the trouble I've caused this village." He said. "I've brought down upon them Kyuubi, I've desecrated the monuments and people's houses, then Akatsuki infiltrated Konoha to get to me and I bet somehow Orochimaru is my fault too!" He looked up at Sasuke and let him see his distraught expression. "If I wasn't on your team then you wouldn't have almost died, you wouldn't have ran off to join Orochimaru and you would've become a lot stronger with me out of your way. I've stepped into your path so many times, delaying you and turning you around that it took you two years to finally beat your brother. All I've been to this town is a nuisance and a burden."

"What the hell are you talking about? If anything, you're the reason I was strong enough to finally beat Itachi." Sasuke hissed. "You pushed me, you challenged me, _you_ made me stronger. You kept me from going to Orochimaru and I probably would've stayed with him if you hadn't dragged me back! If you ever say that you are a burden or a nuisance again, I will personally beat you into a bloody pulp." With one last glare at Naruto, he stormed out of the house and waited there until Naruto appeared, pack on his back and depressed. Sasuke slammed the door shut and locked it before whipping around and actually storming out of the town with a lagging Naruto following behind.

Sasuke finally slowed after an hour and let Naruto catch up, reining his temper and giving a small smile to the blonde. "Listen…I'm…" he paused and sighed, "I don't like hearing you put yourself down, that's my job," he smirked, "but really…I didn't mean to snap like I did, it's just frustrating to hear you talk about yourself like you're nothing better than dirt or trash because you are. You have done more for this village than they will ever know and I can tolerate the glares and the whispers, but one thing I will _not_ tolerate is you talking down to yourself, okay?"

Naruto looked up and smiled weakly, "Okay. No more bad mouthing myself."

"No more thinking that either."

"I can't promise that…but I'll try." His smile became more heartfelt and Sasuke nodded.

"Good."

* * *

The first village they came to was Hidden Stone and posing as tourists, they passed surprisingly easily. Sasuke made mental note of that and a dozen other weaknesses the village showed. They mainly had outposts and guards instead of any real defense and everywhere the two walked they passed too easily, even when they went to the Kage's home. Sasuke kept thinking someone was going to jump them or their Anbu would arrive and take them hostage, but no one came.

The two boys rented a room for three days and began taking pictures and writing notes that most people wouldn't be able to decipher—because Naruto was writing it. While there, Sasuke studied the commerce, roads, militant forces, their Academy, their houses, the people and lastly their Kage. There were two Kages in the Hidden Stone, but from what Sasuke could see neither were much of a threat. He was certain they were strong, but how they dressed and acted he figured they knew more of pampering than running a country.

Naruto agreed and wrote so in his report while Sasuke took to mapping out their boarders and main roads. Every night they would discuss what each saw, even though they were together, and then compress their findings into one.

Yet Sasuke was more concerned with Naruto and how he was dealing with a new village that knew nothing of his past. Both of them were followed around by a couple girls much to their annoyance, but they couldn't do anything about that other than ignore them, which they did often. Naruto was the only one that responding to their swooning and usually with a snap or insult, but they didn't listen and just liked him all the more.

It was their last night there and Naruto collapsed into his bed. They had a double room, each with their own bed and dresser, and Naruto had been able to stay in his bed throughout the night so far much to his relief. He hated feeling so weak he had to crawl into Sasuke's bed to find solace, but what he hated to admit it, even more than being weak, was how safe he felt with Sasuke. Yet in a new village, he felt more ready to take on anyone who tried to harass him again because these people knew nothing of his past and he owed them nothing.

The day had been most tiring for Naruto, they had spent some time in the library just 'admiring' it and looking up past Kages and the road plans for the entire village. He was surprised to find so many known passages below the village that had once been used to evacuate people and move ninjas quickly through the village. Now it was either used for children to play in or abandoned, but it was still a great weakness since some tunnels could be found outside of the village.

"I didn't know there were any villages this badly guarded…" He groaned.

Sasuke snorted, "They've been at peace for at least four decades, of course they feel no reason to put up their guard."

"And those girls!" He groaned again and Sasuke laughed at him. Naruto wasn't used to girls swooning over him since Konoha was so set against him that no girl would dare like him, but here…Naruto had become quite popular. "How do you do it? They are so annoying!"

"I know. Usually, I just ignore them and try giving them the cold shoulder."

"But it doesn't work! Look at Sakura, she's still all over you even after five years. She will never give up."

"But she will never win either."

Naruto grinned and flipped over, burying his face into his pillow. "I just wanna go to sleep and never wake up."

"We've been gone two days and you're already ready to go back?"

"I never said I wanted to go back, just that I don't want to wake up."

Sasuke sighed and plopped down on his bed next to Naruto's. "Then you'll just have to miss all the other wonderful sights I'll see while traveling."

Naruto turned his face and stuck his lip out, almost in forced tears. "You'd leave me here Sasuke?" 

"I'm not carrying around your dead weight. You're not light Naruto, gotta cut back on that ramen before you get a gut." He joked, knowing the blonde refused to go anywhere near ramen anymore.

"Sasuke!" He whined and threw his pillow at the boy. "You're so mean to me." 

"Oh I am, am I?" Sasuke jumped out of the way of the pillow and started towards the door. "I guess you don't want me to treat you to dinner anymore then?"

"Dinner?" Sasuke grinned when Naruto's head shot up from the pillow, his mouth half open at the prospect of food. Then the blonde would jump out of his bed and grab Sasuke by the arm and drag him to the closest restaurant. "Sasuke! You're so nice to me!" It never failed, he was just too easy to please, and just as he thought, Naruto jumped up, grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the closest place, which happened to be a sushi bar. "Food! Food! Food! Food!"

"All right, all right you food psycho!" Sasuke yelled, trying to get his arm out of Naruto's grasp before he lost it forever.

Naruto dropped his arm once they hit the restaurant and jumped into the closest seat to him at the bar. Sasuke slid in next to him and shook his head. He couldn't help but admit that though he was still sarcastic and sometimes cold, around Naruto his behavior had changed dramatically. He joked and smiled and liked goading the blonde into pouting because he found it irresistibly cute.

"So, we'll leave first light tomorrow?" Naruto questioned after ordering six different types of sushi and fried rice.

"Hn."

Naruto frowned and glanced at the dark shinobi. It had been a long time since he heard Sasuke use 'hn' as an answer. "And then we'll be going to Hidden Sand?"

"Hn."

"And we'll spend three days there?"

"Hn."

"And you'll marry a girl there and have nine children, right?"

Sasuke looked sideways at him. "No."

He grinned, "Just seeing if you were actually listening bastard."

"Dobe."

That night they were finishing writing up their final report…or Sasuke was since Naruto's kanji was so illegible, though Sasuke knew when he wanted to the blonde's writing was even neater than his own. He rolled up the scroll and placed it in a thin metal case used specifically for delivering messages. Sasuke glanced at Naruto, "How do we deliver this, dobe?"

"Hm?" Naruto was staring out the window and seeing Sasuke done with the report, grinned and stretched. "I guess the way I usually do it." Sasuke watched closely, feigning disinterest just to annoy the blonde, and smirked when he saw what Naruto did. First he copied himself using Kage Bushin and then using Henge, transformed himself into a dove with odd blue eyes. He picked up the bird and grinned as he gave the scroll to Bird-Naruto. "Take this to Tsunade-baba, okay?"

The bird bobbed his head and then when Naruto opened the window, flew out, heading south towards Konoha.

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow, "That was pretty good."

Naruto just smiled, "It's come in handy a couple times…"

"I knew you weren't as stupid as you pretended to be, dobe."

"Of course not! How many fools do you know are actually fools?" He grinned.

He turned around in his chair, setting one arm on top of it and studied Naruto as he stared at the village. In the moonlight he looked much older than he was, almost thirty if someone saw him from a distance. Up close, he looked more like twenty instead of his seventeen years. His hair was still disheveled and awry, but the golden blonde became lighter throughout his years and was almost bleached blonde now, especially in the moonlight.

Sasuke couldn't help but just stare at him. He had one leg propped up on the windowsill with his hands resting just under the knee while he let his other leg dangle off the side, swaying slightly. A thoughtful look was on his face and his blue eyes sparkled brighter than ever before against his tan skin and the night sky. A light natural blush covered his cheeks just over his whisker marks and dressed in complete black, it was easy to see his lithe body and tone muscles underneath it.

Yet Sasuke could see the weariness in that body and the sorrow and fear lurking just behind those sparkling eyes. Anyone else would see an overly cheerful boy that was kind usually, but contained an evil streak when he wanted to…but Sasuke could see right through it. He could see right through Naruto's façade just as he could see right through his own. It scared them both that someone could see right through them to their very soul and yet…in an odd way, it was comforting to know someone saw the real person behind the fake demeanor.

Naruto could see the laughing, smiling, warm, kind, talkative Sasuke behind the cold ice prince he usually threw up before people to stop anyone else from hurting him. It was a fear not even Naruto knew about. When he said he was afraid of losing him, he was serious. He was afraid of losing someone else important to him and that scared him beyond his own death. He wouldn't—no, _couldn't_ —lose another person that touched his heart and brought out his softer side because if he did then it would break him. Sasuke knew he wouldn't be able to survive another loss like that and for some reason he knew that losing Naruto would be even more painful than losing his entire clan.

"What are you thinking about?" He finally asked.

"How lucky I am." Naruto responded immediately, turning to look at Sasuke with a genuine smile.

"How so?"

"I have a best friend, a real friend. That's something I've never had…"

"A best friend?" Sasuke was angered and hurt by this. Naruto was _his_ best friend and he thought he was the same to the blonde shinobi, but Naruto didn't seem to think so. He felt almost jealous of his best friend, he wanted to be that special to Naruto. "Who?"

Naruto stared at him for a long while before closing his eyes and answering, "You."

He let out a breath he hadn't even known he was holding. "I'm glad because you're mine." Sasuke said before retreating to his bed. He didn't see how Naruto's eyes followed him in mild surprise or the way he smiled before turning away to look back out over the village.

Dhampir   
Page 6   
2/13/2005

* * *

**Note:** After last chapter, ya'll deserve some happy, fluffy stuff ^_^


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Note:** Rape, OOC and later Sasu-Naru

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Thirteen  
  
_

Sasuke growled in frustration as Naruto asked for the tenth time in two minutes where they were going. They had been traveling for almost a year now and had visited many different villages, some months away others just hours, and yet they visited every hidden village they came across and sent back their findings to Tsunade via Naruto's bird clone. The Hidden Sand had been the hardest village they had entered because of Gaara. He almost immediately sensed Naruto and cornered them while they were walking into town. It had taken a lot of time and Naruto's new fear of contact to convince Gaara that they were taking a vacation and wanted to get out of the village. Unfortunately, Naruto had to tell Gaara about being raped and left for dead before the freaky kid would believe him, but after that, they had full use of the village and its resources. They stayed with Gaara, which hadn't been as bad as they had thought and Temari and Kankuro had been friendlier than when they had last met during the Chunin Exams. Gaara even made certain no one bothered Naruto during their whole stay, threatening anyone who so much as looked at him wrong.

The most complicated village they found had been the Hidden Grass, they had barely finished their report before Anbu arrived in their room, demanding what they were doing. It had taken them two days to finally catch on, but that was better than the others, which had been a week or more. The Anbu of Hidden Grass were also quite the challenge, Sasuke had received four new scars because of them and the only reason he wasn't dead was because Naruto blocked the Anbu's kunai with his body. He had a clean scar on his upper bicep because of that, but they were both alive because of that as well. That was also when Sasuke saw Naruto's old cutting scars on his wrists. Naruto was certain that Sasuke was going to scold him or reject him for being so stupid, but all the pale shinobi did was trace the scars silently and then bandage them with wrist wraps.

He had been thankful for that and told Sasuke about his three calls with death, which did end with a smack on the head for trying to kill himself because Sasuke took his 'death'. After that, they didn't speak of it again and Naruto became more cheerful, more like his old self. Yet the more villages they surveyed, the more Sasuke saw Naruto acting, even when they were alone. Naruto would yell out and cause commotion, he bought an orange shirt to wear so he would stick out, he acted like an idiot and was always wearing that _stupid_ smile. It was beginning to annoy Sasuke because he knew how smart Naruto really was and it goaded him when he saw the shinobi acting like a fool.

"Sasuke," Naruto whined, "where are we going?"

He growled and responded the same as before, "You'll see soon enough."

"But Sasuke!"

"Naruto, it's the same response as before, why do you keep asking me?"

"Because I forget?" He asked, scratching his head. "Why can't you just tell me where we're going Sasuke?"

"That is it!" He yelled, turning around and glaring at the blonde. "I have had it with you, Naruto. You're not doing anything, you're not even carrying anything unlike me and all you can do is beg and annoy me to death! You have asked that question ten times in the past five minutes and I _told_ you that you'll see soon enough. Damn it, my and Hokage's money is funding this little expedition so will you _please_ just shut up for ten fucking minutes?" He hadn't meant to sound so angry or frustrated, but he really was and Naruto was driving him up the wall.

Naruto stopped short, his mouth slightly open as he watched Sasuke stomp down the road. "I…I-I never meant to be a burden." He whispered, closing his eyes to stop the tears. He didn't want to upset Sasuke or trouble anyone with his presence. He thought after he was away from Konoha he could change, but…the only way he knew how to deal with pain, hurt and sorrow was with a façade, his normal façade. He was afraid if he dropped his mask at any point then he wouldn't be able to rebuild it and he would fall apart. He knew it was wrong to act like he did around Sasuke since the shinobi could see right through it, but it scared him. In all his years, no one had ever seen through him, but all Sasuke had to do was glance at him and it was enough to crack him because he saw himself in those dark knowing eyes. It scared him beyond anything because it was a weakness he could exploit to break him permanently. Sasuke was his best friend and had been more of a help than he would ever know for the past ten months, but Naruto could not bring him to ruin by showing how weak he really is. "I'm sorry, Sasuke." He mouthed and disappeared.

Sasuke froze, spinning around to find Naruto gone. All he felt was a slight breeze and then Naruto's chakra just vanished. He couldn't even detect it anymore and began to panic. His eyes searched the empty road and the only thing left behind was the settling dirt. He knew he shouldn't have snapped, but he couldn't help it. This one village they were visiting was making him jumpy and even more cold than usual. Adding into it Naruto's insecurity and stupid façade, Sasuke was very easily aggravated. Then on top of that, they had been traveling for two weeks alone and no village and every day Naruto asked him where they were going, even though he knew. Naruto was the one who picked to go to the Water Country and visit the Hidden Spring, but yet he still had to ask Sasuke where they were going.

"Shit!" He whispered and disappeared into the woods, trying to find any sign that Naruto left behind, but he had no idea which way the blonde shinobi went and there was no sign of his chakra either. "Shit, shit, shit! Damn it Naruto, where did you go?" He said as he jumped branch to branch. Sasuke scoured the woods for any sign of Naruto and yet he could find no track of him or any chakra signature, not even a spike.

"Naruto!" He yelled into the woods, not caring how many people he attracted. All he cared about at the moment was finding the blonde shinobi before anyone else did and apologizing. He knew he was in the wrong and he was greatly regretting it now, but that didn't help with that fact he didn't know how to go about apologizing. It was just something he didn't do and yet he felt that was the only way to make it up to the blonde. He couldn't just find him and say he would buy him something to eat when they got to town because food wasn't going to fix it this time.

* * *

The sun set an hour ago and still Sasuke hadn't found Naruto. He had ran into a couple ninjas and even a team of Anbu thinking he was an attacker, but he was able to talk his way out them and continue his search, or when they didn't let him by quick enough, he attacked them. He didn't care if they made him an enemy or not or if they sent more ninjas after him, he just wanted to find Naruto and he would fight through anyone to get to him.

At the moment, Sasuke stood atop a tree staring up at the sky as he took a quick breather. He had been searching all day and still he hadn't found any sign of Naruto. He was beginning to worry and it was entirely his fault. He couldn't get out of his mind that Naruto had been taken or that he wasn't even in the woods, but he couldn't just leave without being certain there wasn't even a slim chance Naruto was still near him.

He dropped his eyes to the forest floor and whispered, "Please, I don't care if he hates me, just let him be okay." Then he jumped to the next tree, activating his bloodline to help him search the dark. The forest was terrifying at night; it was dark and dank with scattered leaves and sticks littering the ground and the growling and slithering of animals. He didn't want Naruto in here, not when the forest's own persona would bring up troubling memories from his past. Naruto had been doing so well with people too, he wasn't afraid to touch some of them or give them a hug or handshake, especially Sasuke. He smiled at that, Naruto was always grabbing his hand and dragging him somewhere or wrapping his arms around his waist in a tight hug as thanks for whatever it was he—

Sasuke stopped, his eyes focusing on the hunched boy leaning against a tree. He could just make out the blonde spikes in the dark and immediately let out a sigh of relief. Naruto wasn't somewhere else and he wasn't hurt—at least not physically. He slowly approached the crying figure and immediately closed his eyes in guilt; there was no way he could deny it was he who caused Naruto this suffering. "Naruto…" He whispered once he knelt down next to him.

Naruto suddenly stopped crying, but refused to look up at him. "What do you want, Sasuke?" He croaked, his voice hoarse from crying.

"I want…I w-want to apologize." He said hesitantly and ground his teeth at his own uncertainty of saying the words.

"Apologize, why?" He asked, bringing his face from his arms and looking at Sasuke.

"Because I let my own frustrations get to me and lashed out at you." He shrugged and then groaned when Naruto turned away again, thinking the shrug meant he truly wasn't sorry. "Look Naruto…I'm not good at this. I have a lot to apologize for, but it's not something I've done before, it's not something I know _how_ to do. I'm trying, really, and I truly am sorry. It's just…" He sighed and stared down at the ground. "I don't like you acting around me, I thought we were past that and you could act like yourself around me." He picked at the leaves trying to distract himself.

"But all I do is burden you and use your money and food and supplies and—"

"Naruto, stop." He whispered. "I don't care about my money, I have a fortune so it means nothing to me, I like buying you food and supplies are practically nothing, but what is priceless to me is you." Sasuke ran a hand through his hair as Naruto waited for him to continue. "You were never a burden to me or anyone else; you brighten people's day with your attitude and cheerful outlook, no matter if it is just a façade."

Naruto looked away, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve childishly. "Then why did you yell at me and say all those things?"

"Because…because I was annoyed with you. Because you were acting around me as you do around all those other people, like I'm no different. I didn't like it.” He wasn’t going to dwell on _why_ he didn’t like it. “Then above that, you _constantly_ asked me where we were going when you already know, you chose our next destination and yet you keep asking me like you're an idiot or something when we both know that isn’t true.

"A-and also…going to the Hidden Spring has got me…anxious I guess." 

He frowned, "Why?"

"You'll see soon enough."

"What does that mean? I don't…" He dropped his voice, "I don't want to be a burden to you."

Sasuke leaned towards Naruto until their foreheads were touching and he whispered to him, staring straight into his cerulean eyes. "Remember when I said I was afraid of losing you?"

"Yeah…" He said just as quietly.

"You don't know how petrified I was when I thought maybe you ran off and I would never find you again. I meant it when I said I was afraid of losing you because I _can't_ lose you."

"What do you mean?"

"If you were to die…" Sasuke closed his eyes, steeling his nerves as he continued. "I couldn't cope with it, I can't lose another precious person in my life or I will crack."

"Sasuke…"

He suddenly pulled away, silently berating himself for letting out so much of his inner thoughts. No one was supposed to know that weakness, not even himself. He didn't want to admit out loud Naruto had that much of an impact on his life. Trying to collect himself, Sasuke turned away coldly, calling over his shoulder, "Come on dobe, you've already wasted an entire day with your whining and childish behavior." Then thinking he may have been a little too harsh, he added with a smirk. "I'll buy you something to eat when we get into town, okay?"

"Cold bastard." Naruto muttered, but gave a small smile while rubbing his arm to wipe away his tears and picked himself off the ground.

* * *

Two hours later the two boys arrived in a bustling night town. The village of Hidden Spring was just as it was named. Everywhere they looked hot springs and streams were in sight, most in use and others used as decoration with fountains and sculptures within them. Buildings made of stone had waterfalls spouting out from animal carvings into the springs below and articulate bridges or stepping stones seemed to be the way everyone crossed the springs. Colorful lights played against the water, giving an almost ethereal look to the village.

"Have you ever seen anything so…" Naruto started.

"Magnificent?" Sasuke finished, both were gaping at the village.

Two men appeared before them, dressed in complete black with their head bands tied around their necks. A small rising sun set over a lake could be seen engraved into the bands and both boys stepped back, grabbing for weapons they were not carrying.

"Who are you?" One questioned.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "Is this how you greet all your guests?"

"Who are you?" He repeated, his eyes glinting dangerously in the dark.

Naruto growled deep, not taking kindly to their cold attitude. Never had a village greeted them with such hostility and it irked him, he felt his nails biting into his skin as he clenched his fists. "Uzumaki Naruto, happy now? How dare you greet a potential guest in such a way! I can't believe you have the gall to be so rude to visitors."

"Visitors?" The second said, in a much nicer tone before giving a slight bow. "I'm very sorry, we do not receive very many visitors during the wet season…the water is usually too high and cool for the liking of our tourists. Also, we have received word from a couple different villages that spies are being sent out to survey our towns and tonight a couple of our scouts got beaten up. I'm sorry if we sound suspicious."

Naruto gave his famous smile that made him look just too cute to be of any threat and apparently it worked, Sasuke noted as he watched the two guards just melt at that smile. "Oh, I see! Well, no reason to be alarmed by us, we didn't know there was a wet and dry season. You see, we came from the Fire Country and someone told us we should visit your wonderful city while we made our way through the Water Country. She said it was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen and I just knew we couldn't pass up such an opportunity." He explained happily.

The first scratched his head and then gave a small smile. "I apologize for jumping on you two like I did, but you never can be too careful, you know?"

"Oh! Of course! We would never want any harm to befall your village; though I don't see how anyone really could…it's too beautiful for anyone to ever destroy."

"Well please, come in and we'll show you two around if you would like." The second said and both turned around to walk over the bridges instead of buildings.

Naruto winked at Sasuke before skipping after the two ninjas and questioning them about their village: Their Kage, their commerce, their people, their buildings and he made it all sound just like innocent curiosity and both answered without a single thought that they might be gathering information. Sasuke hung behind, just watching the blonde interact with the two ninjas and searching every house they passed carefully before finally stopping at a quaint looking house yet he could see the intricacy in the walls and it was much larger than it looked, including what looked like four or five extra rooms.

"So this is the capital of the Water Country? Then your Kage lives here, right?" Naruto asked. "Just like ours lives in Konoha?"

"Naruto." Sasuke called.

The trio stopped and turned around to Sasuke curiously. "I think we should turn in for the night. We have been traveling for over two weeks without rest and after our ordeal on the road…I feel quite tired."

Naruto frowned, Sasuke would never admit something like that, even it was true. "Sure…okay."

One of the ninjas—Genki Sasuke thought he said—cocked his head. "What ordeal?"

"We got split up in the woods by some thieves and it took us all day and part of the night to find each other again." Sasuke explained easily.

"You're not a Hunter Nin…are you?" Genki asked, his eyes glancing over Sasuke’s shoulder to the house behind him.

He smirked, "If I was would I tell you? But to answer your question, no, I'm not, but if you would like, you may accompany us. I know the person who lives here." He jerked his head at the house next to him.

"But…"

"Sasuke! What do you mean you know the person? How is that possible?" Naruto cut the ninja off, taking a step towards him.

"Oi dobe, if you'd shut up for two minutes and follow me, you'd see!" Sasuke growled.

"You're so mean!" He wailed.

"Great, now I'm mean again!"

"Well you are!"

"How am I mean? I told you I'd buy you something to eat, didn't I?"

He pouted. "But you insult me."

Sasuke sighed. "And your point being?"

"See! That's my point, you're being mean again!"

"I can't even ask a question without you saying I'm mean!"

"That's because it's true."

"Dobe." He growled.

"Don't call me that! I tell you all the time to not call me that!" He hissed.

Sasuke smirked, "Then stop acting like one…dobe."

"Sasuke!"

"What?"

"You're so mean!"

He groaned, "We are _not_ starting this over again!"

"Huh?"

"You already told me I'm 'so mean' and that's how this got started."

Naruto cocked his head, "What started?"

"This argument!"

"We're arguing?"

"You really are a dobe." He muttered.

Naruto huffed. "Sasuke!"

"What now?"

"You're so mean!"

He felt the need to go bang his head against a wall a couple times suddenly and almost did. "Not again!"

The two ninjas watched the bantering back and forth, trying to follow exactly what was going on and finally just gave up. They couldn't see any threat in the two kids and they were certain the owner could handle them without a problem. Looking at them, they looked sixteen or seventeen and how they argued was so childlike that it was almost entertaining. The other ninja, Sano, finally cleared his throat, making the two boys turn towards them. "I know for certain now you two aren't Hunter Nin, there's just no feasible way it could be a possibility." He grinned. "We'll escort you to the house."

Naruto ran to Sasuke and the two started towards the mansion, but Sasuke paused and smirked. "No, we're certainly not Hunter Nin sirs, we're Anbu." He grinned as he watched the two ninjas take in the information and turn pale.

"B-but…"

Naruto grinned, "It's true! We've been Anbu for about…a year now, right Sasuke?"

"Hn." He said, but nodded and then turned back to the house. The two ninjas just followed behind, uncertain of what to do since they were just chunins and at least three years their senior, if not more.

"Hold on!" Genki called and grabbed Naruto by the arm, causing the blonde to cry out in fear at the unexpected contact, but a split second later Genki found a kunai at his throat and red Sharnigan eyes inches from his face.

"Do not touch him." He growled between clenched teeth and Genki dropped Naruto immediately. "I meant it when I said we're not here to harm anyone, I know who lives here and I plan on seeing him so please refrain from grabbing either of us."

"Sasuke, it's okay. I'm…I'm all right, just a little shaken…" Naruto whispered, stepping away from Genki and slightly hiding between Sasuke.

He glanced at Naruto and then at Genki before retracting his kunai and slipping it back up his sleeve. "Come on Naruto." He snapped and quickly strode towards the door with Naruto a half step behind him. When they got to the door, Sasuke paused to watch the two children playing in the yard a couple feet away from them. A girl and a boy, the girl looked older by a year or so than the boy, but it was the boy that caught his attention. Just looking at him one could see the aura of authority radiating off of him.

Both children had black hair and peach skin, though a little lighter than usual and both had pitch black eyes, but Sasuke could see the blue flecks of color surrounding the boy's pupils. The girl looked to be six or seven while the boy looked five, but neither acted their age, though at the moment they were wrestling around on the ground. Sasuke could see the martial arts being used as they tumbled around in the grass, as he and Naruto had done before…or he and Itachi… Sasuke shook the memory away and turned back to the door before him, Naruto hovering just behind him and two fretful guards shuffling back and forth a couple feet behind them.

Sasuke knocked on the door and waited a minute or so before the door was opened by a slim woman in her mid twenties dressed in a black and green ninja kimono. Deep green eyes peered evenly at Sasuke and then down at Naruto and lastly to the two ninjas still in the background. She slightly tilted her head, letting wisps of her long black hair fall over her face. "Who are you?" She asked before glancing worriedly at her children who had stopped their play fighting at the knock.

"Excuse me," Sasuke bowed, "I am here to see—"

"Mielin, who is at the door?" A cool voice asked from behind the woman. Pale arms wrapped lightly around her shoulders and red clashed with black as Sasuke stared into the newcomer's eyes.

Naruto squeaked and disappeared behind Sasuke while the prodigy shouldered his bag and smirked knowingly. "Hello aniki."

Dhampir   
Page 8   
2/14/2005

* * *

  
**Note:** Haha, finally Itachi arrives ^_^ 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Note:** Rape, OOC and later Sasu-Naru

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Fourteen_

Itachi narrowed his eyes and quickly pushed Mielin towards their children. He never expected his little brother to follow him this far. "Get the children, I'll handle this!" He yelled forcefully, shiruken suddenly between his fingers and crossing his arms to be ready to counter any move Sasuke tried.

Mielin didn't pause for a second to gather her children in her arms and hold them protectively, watching what conspired between the two men. She knew there were people after her husband and he had already fought a couple, though she never knew why, but she knew not to disobey Itachi when a serious matter like this came up.

Yet Sasuke just stared at him and actually spread his arms, leaving himself open to an attack. "I'm not here to finish what we started aniki, I came to visit my brother and my nephew and niece. Though I will never be able to forgive you, I have no desire to spend my life as you had. You will not die by my hand as long as you do not attack me or anyone else I care for." He said levelly, never letting his eyes leave Itachi's.

"Not here to…" he narrowed his eyes. He didn't believe it, Sasuke lived to kill him and he was still unsure of how he survived their last meeting. Sasuke had him, had him beat and helpless and eventually unconscious. It had been four years since then and yet he still couldn't understand why he was still alive. And now his little brother shows up preaching peace…he didn’t trust it.

"I left you alive, Itachi." Sasuke said quietly, practically reading his thoughts. _Well, we aren't brothers for nothing. I can see what he's thinking just by the way he watches me._ "Defeating you is enough for me, my vengeance is fulfilled as far as I am concerned and the Itachi standing before me is not the same I fought four years ago."

Hesitantly he dropped his hands, but he refused to put the kunais away. "What are you doing here, otouto?"

Mielin finally decided to speak up, still holding her children close. " _Brother_? You never said anything of a brother! How could you leave that out, Itachi? I thought your clan was dead, massacred by someone "

"Mielin." He warned, silencing her though the anger reflecting in her eyes told him the discussion was far from over. The elder Uchiha shifted his weight slightly, but Sasuke recognized the shift to mean his brother was relaxing a hair. "I honestly believed my brother dead because…" He dropped off, not wanting to lie to his wife more than he had to, but saying they fought would only bring more questions, questions he did not want to answer.

"Because when Itachi and I fought the man who had slain our clan, Itachi fell unconscious and when he awoke I was gone. It was a logical answer, but wrong. I am much alive as you can see." Sasuke answered for Itachi, surprising his older brother.

Itachi studied his younger sibling, taking in the confident stance and unwavering eyes before saying hesitantly, "We have…much to discuss."

Genki finally burst in with, " _Uchiha_ Sasuke?"

Everyone turned to him, Sasuke practically tripping over Naruto, now sitting meekly on the ground next to him to stay hidden from Itachi. He wasn't certain if the older Uchiha could be trusted yet. Sasuke glanced at the blonde and then at Genki. "Yes…"

"B-but…Orochimaru…"

"Is dead." He shrugged.

"Word from Konoha of an Uchiha Sasuke has reached here, but I never thought I would come face to face with you!"

Sasuke frowned, "Why would I be so well known in a village I've never even visited?"

Naruto laughed, finally finding his courage again. "Oh come on Sasuke! You defeat your…um, clan’s killer, Orochimaru—a Sanin! You're an Anbu at the age of eighteen and you have more S classed missions under your haite than anyone else in Konoha. Above that, you are nearly worshipped as a sex god by every girl that has seen you; you probably have a fan club here too! How can word _not_ reach other villages?"

"Naruto." He growled, shoving him over with his foot.

"Hey!" He yelped before appearing inches from his face. Smiling sweetly, he purred, "That wasn't nice Sasuke," before hooking one foot behind his and tripping him.

Sasuke glared at him from the ground, but Naruto was immune to them by now. "Dobe."

"Don't call me that!"

"Baka, you can't give me all the credit for those things."

Not expecting that, Naruto cocked his head, frowning. "Huh?"

"Orochimaru is dead because of you,” he explained as he picked himself up off the ground, wiping any dirt off his thighs, “you're an Anbu at the age of seventeen and you have the same amount of S classed missions as I do."

Naruto looked away, eyes guarded. "I didn't defeat Orochimaru, Sasuke, and that is one time I would rather not remember."

Seeing where the conversation was leading, Sasuke steered it away quickly before Naruto began regretting again. "Also, you're the only person who can defeat me." Sasuke smirked, it was the first time he admitted it to the blonde, but it was true. In most of their spars, he was either just barely the winner or Naruto won, but usually it was a draw.

"So you finally admit to it, bastard." The blonde grinned, those cerulean depths glinting happily as Naruto punched Sasuke lightly in the arm.

"Yeah, but if you breathe a word of it, I will find a way to kill you." He said, their normal banter making him careless. Immediately Naruto freeze and Sasuke mentally cursed himself for the words he couldn't take it back now.

Before he could apologize, Itachi interrupted, those blood red eyes boring into the blonde."The Kyuubi whelp is with you."

Sasuke gave his coldest glare at Itachi before leaning close to him and whispering just loud enough for Itachi to hear him. "If you _ever_ call him that again, I will take it as a personal insult and make you regret it. Naruto is not Kyuubi and if you don’t believe me, you can speak with the fox if you want to test his wrath, but I will not tolerate it, aniki."

Itachi regarded him coolly. "Nothing you say will change the fact that he is the Kyuubi no Kitsune jinchuriki."

"Your slit throat will, I'm certain of that." Sasuke replied, kunai appearing in his hand and the two brothers stood in a standstill as tensions rose.

"Sasuke!" Naruto said, shocked at his friend's response and yanked Sasuke back until he stood between the brothers. "I am not something to be spoken about as if I'm not alive and I will not have you two fighting unless it's a friendly spar, understood?" Not even waiting for them to respond, he looked at Itachi, almost judging him before giving a soft smile and bowing. "Itachi-sama, I am glad to know you are alive and have started a family of your own. I am certain the Uchiha clan will thrive once more underneath you and Sasuke."

Itachi stared in silent shock. Naruto had changed a lot from the brat he was when he first met him and sincerity was prominent in his voice. "…Thank you."

Naruto nodded and then looked at Sasuke, "I…I've got to go away for a little bit Sasuke."

"What?" Sasuke exploded, already on the offensive.

"No, no, not like that. I just need to go think for a little while…maybe have a chat with an old friend." His eyes pleaded to let him find a quiet spot and Sasuke found he couldn't deny Naruto, not because of his eyes but because he understood Naruto wanted some privacy and peace.

"Okay." Sasuke sighed. "Do you need money for food?"

"I've got some!" He smiled and then disappeared from the front door, leaving two edgy brothers, two anxious guards, two curious children and one confused wife behind.

Sasuke turned back to Itachi. "I truly am here just to visit, aniki. Word reached me in Konoha that you had two children, though I didn't know they would be this old, but I wanted to visit them for a while…it just proved," he paused, "difficult in a way to do so."

Itachi watched him with emotionless red eyes. He could see the changes in Sasuke, he was more open, more talkative, he explained himself and he seemed happier. He almost acted like the old Sasuke before Itachi massacred the clan and he was relieved to see such changes in his little brother. Though he wondered which lucky girl got through that cold exterior Sasuke always had up. "We have much to speak about. The two of you may stay here if you wish."

Not expecting an offer of hospitality, Sasuke just nodded and followed Itachi through his house. "Thank you, aniki." He said sincerely when he finally found his voice.

"Hn."

He sighed and tried again, "This village is quite wonderful."

"Hn."

"I'm guessing you are a jounin here?"

"Hn."

"Is it different from Konoha's jounins?"

"Hn."

"If you haven't noticed, I am trying to make conversation, Itachi, and you're not helping much." Sasuke growled as Itachi opened a door to a guest room.

"This will be your room, the room across from yours will be the Kyuubi…" he stopped short and corrected himself, "Naruto's room, our room is down the hall along with our children's rooms and meals are served accordingly. If you are not here for a meal, then you are on your own and we enforce that rule." Itachi looked Sasuke up and down and then turned away. "I am glad you are alive, Sasuke." He murmured before leaving.

* * *

Naruto sighed and looked up at the stars. "Kyuubi…did I do the right thing when I stopped Sasuke from killing Itachi?"

_-Family is family, no matter what. Family should not kill family, kit.-_

"But look at everything Itachi's done!"

_-Yet since you stopped Sasuke, he's done nothing and actually settled down. You know he's changed for the better so why should it matter if Sasuke killed him or not?-_

"But what about Sasuke?"

_-We both know if Sasuke had killed Itachi then he would've led a life similar to Itachi's and that would've destroyed him…if killing his own brother hadn't.-_

"Then what about Orochimaru?"

_-Ah. So that is what is truly bothering you kit.-_

"Yes." He chuckled. "Even after all these years, it still bothers me. I…I couldn't let Sasuke kill the Sanin even though it was rightfully his job. I just couldn't."

_-You didn't want him to become a cold blooded killer like me, right Naruto?_ \- Kyuubi laughed.

"Like us." Naruto corrected. "Or have you not noticed we're merging…"

_-How can I not notice you brat!_ \- He yelled. _-I know we're merging, kit.-_

"Well, doesn't it scare you?" He yelled back, ignoring the stares he got from his outburst.

_-Of course it does, but there's nothing we can do, kit.-_

He sighed, "Sorry Kyu…I didn't mean to snap."

Naruto could hear the fox chuckle and could practically see the great beast smiling at him. _-Must be one of my characteristics you picked up on, kit.-_

"But what will happen? Once we merge?"

There was a long pause before he continued. _-I'm not exactly certain. Our chakra sources will become one and most likely our temperaments will balance each other, but other than that, I know nothing.-_

"That's what scares me." Naruto whispered.

_-There's no use in worrying now, kit, we still have some time.-_

"But not much, I know our merging will happen soon…maybe in the next week or two."

_-Yes, in the next couple weeks there will be some large changes, most likely including surges of energy and chakra.-_

"Then I can't be here!" He cried out, fear slithering into his mind.

_-You can't go off alone either. It's better if you stay somewhere where there are people to help you kit.-_

Naruto worried over his bottom lip, understanding the fox’s concern, but not liking it. "It'd be best to go back to Konoha then."

_-No-_ Kyuubi roared angrily. _-Though you may have more power, you'll be at your most vulnerable moments while we're merging. These two weeks will most likely leave you tired and weak until we've completed merging. Going back to the people who hate us is certain death. Even with Hokage protecting you.-_

"Then…I guess I should ask Sasuke what I should do…" He sighed, slowly standing. "I don't want to bring him into my problems."

_-You're not bringing him into your—_ our _—problems kit. Asking for help doesn't mean you're helpless.-_

Naruto fell silent and began walking back towards Itachi's house. "I don't like it and you know how my mind has been wandering more around this time. I can't think straight half the time and the other half is such paranoia that it's amazing I haven't given into insanity yet!"

_-Just take each day one at a time, kit. I know it's difficult and fearful, but this is a different village with different people who know nothing of your past_.-

"It's a different village with a different Itachi who chased after me for over three years to get to you, Kyuubi." He let his shoulders sag and bit his lip. "What if he's still after me? How can I stay in the same house as him Kyuubi, especially around _this_ time?"

_-You can do this kit, I know you can._ \- The fox insisted. _-Use your nose, Itachi no longer has that scent of want around you and I honestly think he has given up on chasing us.-_

"Yeah…" He agreed, but there was no conviction in his voice. Naruto stopped at a kiosk and bought the first thing that came to him, chicken curry. He smiled when he got his meal, thinking back on his birthday lunch from Sasuke that day and ate leisurely for once just to think about his life before everything began and how it led up to it.

* * *

When Sasuke ran off with Orochimaru six years ago, Naruto went to train with the Jiraiya for three years—or at least that's what they had planned. A year into his training he stumbled across Sasuke for the first time and immediately they fought, Naruto losing, but just. Sasuke didn't even have enough energy to kill him, he just collapsed next to Naruto and since neither of them could move, they talked. Or actually, Naruto talked. He told Sasuke everything he had seen in the last year and how much different life had been since he had left Konoha.

In return Sasuke spoke some about Orochimaru and his harsher training since he had come under Orochimaru's control. Looking at Sasuke, Naruto thought he looked much younger than he usually seemed as he spoke about being pitted against S class nins that were years more experienced than him and beaten until he was almost dead. He had the scars to prove it too, though Orochimaru usually healed his wounds before his body scarred, saying he wanted a perfect body before he took over.

That night they slept next to each other like before and after Naruto fell asleep, Kabuto came and took Sasuke away from him. He never knew, but Sasuke refused to let Kabuto kill Naruto, saying it was his destiny to kill him and he wouldn’t do it like a coward. He had gone back willingly, but his attitude was different after that as if he had seen a better path to gain power from one meeting with Naruto.

A year later, Naruto and Sasuke met for the second time and it was to be the deciding battle after two years of absence from Konoha. They hadn't met in the most prestigious place or even the most breathtaking as their first fight two years ago had been. No, this one took place in a small meadow where Naruto meditated when he wanted to find some gleaning of peace. He had begun his exercises when a familiar voice broke into his thoughts with a soft call of his name.

Naruto was amazed at how much Sasuke had changed, just turning fifteen while he was still thirteen. Sasuke was still as pale as the moon and his eyes were still dark, darker than night itself, but he had grown. Now five feet and eleven inches—while Naruto was only five feet and five inches—and he had filled out, where Naruto was lithe, Sasuke was muscular. Oh, he was still thin, but people could see the strength in his arms where Naruto looked weaker than he really was. His clothes were black and he wore a mask much like their sensei's so people wouldn't recognize him when he went into villages.

Naruto could still remember his scent, how much like fresh air and morning dew and woods he resembled, a smell he quite enjoyed being around.

Sasuke had spotted Naruto that morning and decided that they should end it all, not with a fight to the death, but with a bet. In truth, he was tired of having no one his own age and he missed Naruto the most out of everyone in Konoha, he wanted to be around him once more. So they made a deal that if Naruto won, Sasuke would leave Orochimaru and return to Konoha, but if Sasuke won then Naruto would accompany him back to Orochimaru's and join the Sound with him.

Though Naruto didn't know Sasuke missed him, he knew he missed the pale shinobi. He missed the smirks and the insults, he missed his perseverance and he missed having someone like him around. He knew he shouldn't have agreed, but he didn't want to fight Sasuke anymore and he truly did miss his dark friend. Even if it meant turning his back on everything and everyone, he would do it if it meant he had a chance of having Sasuke back next to him.

The fight had been quick, too quick for Jiraiya or anyone else to actually know a fight had happened. They kept their chakra masked, but their attacks were catastrophic. Each used whatever came to mind and the end being the two of them standing in a once green meadow now turned brown with dirt staring at each other.

Naruto could still remember their conversation.

_"A tie." Naruto grinned._

_Sasuke just nodded, but his eyes narrowed as if calculating something._

_"We never said what would happen if there was a tie."_

_"I never thought there would be a tie." He answered coldly. "I guess we'll have to wait until another day to end the fighting between us." Sasuke began to turn away, but stopped when Naruto grasped his arm._

_"No, the fighting ends here."_

_"There was no victor."_

_"I'm going with you. I don't care who wins anymore, though I would rather see you leading your own life without the chance of your body being taken over by that snake freak, but since neither of us won, it's our own choice and I choose to go where you go."_

_Sasuke stared at him blankly, but shock lingered just behind those eyes. He never thought Naruto would come willingly with him. He was actually hoping Naruto would defeat him so he could leave Orochimaru without admitting he wanted to. "You do know what this means, right?"_

_Naruto looked away, "I know…"_

_"Then why?"_

_"Because I don't want to be separated from you any longer. I don't want to keep fighting you."_

_Sasuke sighed and relaxed. "To tell you the truth, I've had a change of mind about this. I don't want to have my body taken over by Orochimaru, I want to defeat my brother without him in my mind because then I feel like it is me defeating him…If_ he's _inside my body and kills Itachi then it really isn't_ me _defeating him."_

_"Then why don't you leave him?" Naruto practically yelled._

_"Because of the Curse Seal! I can't escape him while he's still alive Naruto, it's impossible."_

_"Then kill him." He shrugged._

_"He's a Sanin!" Sasuke balked. "I can't_ just _defeat him."_

_"I can beat Ero-Sanin."_

_"You were holding back on me, weren't you?" Sasuke accused him coldly as he glared at the stubborn blonde._

_Naruto just grinned, "Maybe…maybe not."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because I'd rather you come back because you want to, not because I defeated you."_

_"Hn." Well, that was close to an agreement._

_"Then let's go defeat him." He grinned._

_"It's not going to be_ that _easy!"_

_"Of course not, but that's what makes it fun!" Naruto laughed and began running to the woods as Sasuke followed him still in shock._

_"Fun." He muttered, "Baka. And the dobe doesn't know where he's going either."_

Naruto stabbed another piece of chicken and returned to reminiscing. They had arrived an hour later at Orochimaru's lair and Sasuke brought him straight to the Sanin's room. Sasuke explained coldly that they made a deal and Naruto lost and therefore he was to accompany Sasuke back here and join them. When Orochimaru questioned Naruto all he said was he never went back on his word, saying it glumly to convince the Sanin that he really didn't want to be there, but he was because of his promise.

Orochimaru was so thrilled at having another great power underneath him that he didn't even see the attack until it was too late. Yet it was still a hard fight, even after injuring the Sanin with a vicious slash to his back and deep wound in his right arm, both Sasuke and Naruto were bloody and tired when Orochimaru died. Fortunately for them, the Sanin couldn't switch bodies since it had only been two years and the gruesome battle that followed Orochimaru's defeat was even harsher than fighting the Sanin. Naruto's control over his chakra and the several summonings he did is what saved both of them and it was Naruto who gave the finishing blow to Orochimaru's life. A single blade across his throat had ended it all, but Sasuke knew how hard that truly was. Yet Naruto's speed was amazing and he finally found an opening, taking it and appearing under Orochimaru's arms and slitting his throat before the Sanin had a chance to step back.

Both boys watched the Sanin die emotionlessly and immediately after he died, Sasuke's Curse Seal died out, leaving a faded tattoo in its place. The village immediately knew Orochimaru died when the great amount of chakra disappeared without a trace. Kabuto and the Four Sound ninjas arrived in seconds, causing Naruto and Sasuke to fight once more.

Naruto couldn't recall much of anything after Kabuto came towards him. He saw everything in a tint of red and black, all he could see was the blood of his enemies and their bodies falling lifelessly onto the ground. Everything went by in a blur and when he finally came to his senses once more, hundreds of bodies laid scattered across the village. Naruto had froze at the carnage; it was something a demon did, not a human and it scared him that he was able to cause so much death.

Sasuke had told him later he moved as if he was possessed, taking the quickest route to killing every person who came towards him and in the process, not receiving even one wound from them. Both knew neither of them would ever be able to erase such a scene from their minds, Naruto more than Sasuke because he blamed himself for losing control. They had been weary after their fight with Orochimaru and he knew his savage side came out with the threat of death, but he still berated himself for not having more control over it.

Once Sasuke convinced Naruto to leave the bloody and body strewn village, they both returned to Konoha, Jiraiya finding them halfway through their journey with a new book and a long scolding for the both of them. He had arrived at the Sound village and saw what had taken place, guessing immediately what had happened to Naruto. The three of them kept it a secret what happened, but word reached Konoha about the ninja who killed Orochimaru and also every single ninja in the village. Immediately credit went to Sasuke since he had returned days after the death of Orochimaru.

Naruto agreed whole heartedly, knowing if the people knew who truly destroyed the Sound village they would condemn him and exile him from Konoha saying he was too dangerous to keep in a populated area. Sasuke went along with it, much to his regret since even more people worshipped his obvious assassination skills—though what happened that day was not an assassination but a massacre. Only Tsunade knew the truth other than the three of them and she solemnly accepted it, though saddened that the young boys were subjected to such carnage.

* * *

Naruto paid the man and left the kiosk, slowly continuing his walk towards Itachi and everything he feared. Itachi may have changed, but he still saw how the man's eyes lingered on him, assessing him, and as much as he didn't want to admit it—it unnerved him. Walking through the gate, he knocked lightly on the door and waited until Itachi answered, as his wife was placing the children to sleep. Naruto unconsciously took a step back and glanced up nervously at the older Uchiha.

"H-hi…" He muttered.

Itachi's gaze was intense and hard and Nartuo felt himself shivering under such close scrutiny. "Do you have that…thing under control?"

Naruto's eyes flashed angrily and he looked defiantly up at Itachi, gaining some courage at the insult. "You tell me, you're the one who chased me for four years." He snapped and then turned away, if he didn't want a jinchuriki in his house then Naruto would sleep outdoors or find his own place to stay.

"Itachi!" Mielin said in horror before grabbing Naruto's arm. Immediately Naruto stumbled away from her, wrenching his arm away and looking up at her with terrified eyes.

"Please…don't touch me." He whispered, rubbing his arm where she had grabbed him roughly. "I-I can't…please, it's just better if you don't touch me."

She stared at him shocked. Itachi had told her once of a blonde haired blue eyed boy who was so loud and brash, he should've been the worst ninja in history, but that the same boy had great potential and also a huge reservoir of chakra to draw from. But the boy before her was anything but what Itachi said. He was quiet, mysterious and petrified now. She bowed to him before saying, "I meant you no harm, but please, stay here. My husband meant no harm to you; please excuse his lack of hospitality."

He tried to give her a small smile, "He never did have any sense of hospitality, but if he wishes I am somewhere else rather than in his home, then I will go elsewhere. It's not really an unusual request for me," he tilted his head and broadened his smile, "there are not many people who will take a creature like me into their homes."

"Naruto?" Sasuke called from the door. "Where have you been? I was just about to go out and look for you."

He smiled, "I'll be back in the morning Sasuke…but actually I must speak with you about a matter concerning Kyuubi."

"Kyuubi?" He frowned, "Naruto, what's going on?"

"Essentially," Naruto turned to Itachi, "you know more about Kyuubi than I do and so maybe you can help me, but only if you wish, I will stay here and speak."

Itachi gazed coldly at him, but grunted and stepped away from the door waiting for his wife and Naruto to enter. Mielin immediately headed to check on the children, the dark auras coming off all three was enough to overwhelm her senses.

"Itachi." Sasuke growled. "You didn't…"

"I am looking out after my family Sasuke, I am certain you'd do the same."

"Bastard."

"I will not deny that."

Naruto slid past Itachi as quickly as possible and took his place next to Sasuke. "I'm sorry I made you worry, Kyuubi and I did speak for some time and then I went out to eat."

Itachi glanced over in surprise, "You can speak with the fox demon?"

"I can speak with Kyuubi. Sasuke has spoken with Kyuubi as well." He grinned, "I think the fox likes you Sasuke…though Itachi…not so much.” Naruto chuckled, that grin widening as he looked at the elder Uchiha. “I think he still holds a grudge that you tried to control him."

"Reasonable."

"Don't tell the old fox that." Naruto laughed and when he heard Kyuubi grumble, he muttered under his breath, "Well you are old. Oh come on…you're like what, twelve centuries old or something?"

Sasuke and Itachi cocked an eyebrow at the blonde before ignoring his mutterings and settling outside on the back deck. By then, Naruto and Kyuubi had finished arguing and took a seat next to Sasuke, away from Itachi.

"I'll make this quick…well, actually, _he'll_ make this quick." He grinned before closing his eyes and letting Kyuubi take control. Immediately the fox's gaze settled on Itachi and he began to seethe, letting his chakra become visible. "I should rip out your throat and make you eat your own intestines." He threatened, startling the emotionless man with his sudden change in attitude. "How dare you threaten the kit as you have these past years and then turn him away from your home!"

Itachi narrowed his eyes, "Am I to believe _you_ are the Kitsune Kyuubi?"

"Aw," he mocked, "were you expecting all this thunder and lightning to happen or something? Or maybe you wanted my eyes to glow red and my claws to appear as they used to. The kit and I are past such trivial things and that is what I am here to speak with you about."

"This is ridiculous." Itachi snorted.

Seconds later, the black shinobi found his back against the wall and a rasengan spinning powerfully just above his heart. "All I have to do is press this against you and you'll be dead, human. Be it ridiculous to you or not, you will listen to what I have to say and you will listen well because it may affect you as well as the kit."

"Kyuubi! Rein in your temper." Sasuke ordered though he remained seated and relaxed, "Naruto will not be pleased that you killed Itachi."

Kyuubi smirked, "I don't think that's the case, little Uchiha, I will not let any harm come to Naruto ever again."

"He will not be pleased and you know that,” he said more forcefully, crossing his legs calmly as if his brother wasn’t seconds from dying. “Now let him go.”

There was a long pause, tension running high, before Kyuubi harrumphed and dropped Itachi casually. "Say anything else against my kit and no one will stop me from harming you, Uchiha Itachi. You should be thankful, this is the second time the kit's saved your life."

"He has never saved my life before this." Itachi retorted shakily. "And I didn't need his help anyways."

"All right, this is becoming tiresome." Kyuubi muttered.

"Then what's wrong?" Sasuke asked.

Kyuubi sighed and looked up at the stars, collecting his thoughts. "The kit and I are merging and we don't know what will happen. Already we can feel the changes, he's beginning to think like I do and I'm beginning to think as he does. Along with that, slowly our chakra is mixing and becoming one."

"And you don't know what it entails, correct?" Itachi asked.

Kyuubi glared, but answered curtly, "Yes."

"Why are the two of you merging? I thought the seal was to keep you two separate and Naruto in control." Sasuke asked.

"Not everything goes according to plan."

"Why are you telling us this?"

"The kit wants to leave for a better location that has lots of space and absolutely no population, but I say somewhere close by in case something happens. We don't know what to expect except for surges of energy and chakra. The kit isn't used to controlling so much chakra; I usually control most of it while he control's just a small part."

Sasuke grimaced; both had a point in their arguments. Naruto just wanted to be certain no bystanders were hurt while Kyuubi wanted to be certain nothing happened to Naruto. If he was too far away from help when something happened, he would die and there was no denying that. "He can't leave. That would be worse than him staying here." He finally answered, not admitting the only reason he was agreeing with the fox was because he wanted Naruto next to him and he knew if Naruto left, he would never allow for him to follow.

"What do you think?" Kyuubi sneered at Itachi, obviously not wanting his opinion, but needing it.

Itachi gazed coolly at him and finally spoke neutrally, "It would be better if he remained here where there are people who can defend against such outbreaks of power."

He bobbed his head before continuing onto their next problem. "This'll be approaching quite quickly, the kit and I believe in the next two weeks there will be some startling changes in our behavior and power, but what we do not know is if our form will change."

"It should not." Itachi answered. "Akatsuki studied everything concerning the Kyuubi for many generations and I had access to every written piece of information about it, the seal Naruto possesses is different and older than the other jinchurikis."

Kyuubi narrowed his eyes, "Do not speak as if I'm not here bastard, and for your information, I'm not an 'it', I'm a 'he'."

Itachi ignored him and continued. "We knew most likely something would happen with your seal, but we were never able to decipher what, but it was certain that the host's appearance would not change—at least the outer exterior. Inside the host is a whole different subject. Merging chakra is not an easy process, Akatsuki had experimented with such things, but we were never successful.

"The host will either die or live,” the elder shrugged, “but the stronger mind will take hold completely and the only difference will be the added knowledge into one mind. That may also cause a mental breakdown until the host can control and understand his new body, power and knowledge."

"You're not making me feel any better about this." Kyuubi grumbled.

"It was not my intention to ease your fears, fox, only to speak facts."

"No, these are not facts. It's not like I have merged with a jinchuriki before and have previous knowledge of it."

"But others have—weaker ones true, but still demons have been sealed within humans before. Most outcomes showed the human to be the weaker of the two and more than not, the hosts were destroyed before their powers could take complete hold. It is why the seals had been changed a few centuries ago, but the Fourth had sealed you differently."

He groaned, "This is going quite well."

"No one is killing Naruto." Sasuke growled, "They'll have to kill me first."

Itachi stared emotionlessly at his brother and said coldly, "That can be arranged little brother."

Kyuubi blinked, but when his eyes opened again, the pupils were no longer slits, but round human eyes. "You touch him and I'll give you a worse fate than death." Naruto threatened.

Sasuke immediately saw the difference in his voice and cocked his head at the blonde. "Naruto…?"

"Hm?"

"Kyuubi gave up control again?"

"Yup!" He laughed.

Itachi frowned, "Why does the Kyuubi willingly give control to you?"

Naruto turned his gaze to Sasuke's brother, though his anger had still not receded and it was evident in the heat of his gaze, but he still answered. "Kyuubi and I came to an agreement of sorts. Both of us were tired with the whole struggle for control and certain," he paused, "ah…events brought us closer together. Kyuubi is more like a brother to me than a hindrance and I know he will not harm any innocents as long as they leave me alone. Oh, and Kyuubi isn't a demon so please don't label him as such."

"If not a demon, then what is he?"

"My blood brother," he laughed, "or maybe I should say soul brother."

"I find none of this entertaining."

"And that was always your problem, Itachi."

He flushed with anger and stalked away, pausing at the door long enough to offer his hospitality to Naruto, knowing his wife would never let him live it down if he refused. Also, he knew his family was safe, for the time being at least, from the Kyuubi. He knew now the fox would not take control and blindly slaughter people and so, going to visit his children before he retired to bed, he gave his best to Naruto that he would triumph over their merging. He may not want the fox host in his home, but he couldn't deny he was curious about this merging and also, he didn't want Sasuke to leave. He wanted to see his brother for the first time since he massacred their clan and he wanted his children to meet their uncle.

* * *

Over the next week nothing eventful happened, Naruto would snap at people and growl sometimes, but nothing more than that. For the most part their days were ordinary and Sasuke and Naruto would walk around the village without any problems. Though Sasuke did notice that every day Naruto shied away from touch more and more, but he thought it was just because of the changes. Foxes were known to be shy of humans unless cornered where they were fight until they were dead. He thought it was just another personality change though Naruto really didn't change much. He was still cheerful, bright eyed and loud, though he was more alert and skittish than before.

Sasuke met his niece and nephew, Yui was eight and Shu was six, and the two children were beyond ecstatic about having an uncle. Naruto would watch, knowing he wasn't part of the family, as Sasuke played games with his niece and nephew and acted like a kid again. He smiled when they looked his way, but inside he was hurting. He wanted a family like this, he wanted to feel loved and wanted as Sasuke was, but he had no one and it would stay that way until the day he died. The only one he had was Kyuubi and all Kyuubi had was him.

Each morning the day of their merging came closer and each day Naruto grew more afraid and more distant. Above all else, his birthday was also approaching and the urge to disappear was becoming more persistent, but he knew Kyuubi would never let him leave without alerting Sasuke. Yet he couldn't stop the dread creeping through his body nor the feeling that _something_ was going to happen and not just his merging with Kyuubi.

Dhampir   
Page 13   
2/19/2005

* * *

**Note:** So, please note, I wrote this 15 years ago before we knew a lot about being a jinchuriki or Kurama's name or the Itachi's storyline and so most of it is made up from what I thought and such and obviously will remain that way ^_^ Also, thank you for the comments and kudos! They're fun to see ^_^


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter here, but things start moving along ^_^
> 
> 150 kudos, yay!!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Note:** Rape, OOC and later Sasu-Naru

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Fifteen_

Naruto was the first to awaken and he immediately felt the change within him. He could feel chakra leaking out of him and he was certain every ninja in Hidden Spring sensed him. Groaning, he rose and quickly tore off his shirt, it suddenly seemed too hot, and stumbled out of the house and into their yard half dressed. He looked up at the pink light coming from the east where the sun was rising and felt a wave of nausea overcome him.

Letting out a pain filled groan, he gripped his stomach and fell to his knees, trying to suppress the pain he felt. "Kyuubi…" He whispered between gritted teeth and clutched his stomach tighter. He could feel the burning heat emitting from the seal. He could feel the black seal on his stomach moving, forming a new seal as he and Kyuubi began to become one. "Gods, it hurts!" He cried out and placed one hand on the ground to keep from completely collapsing while his other hand dug into his stomach. Kyuubi growled in response and Naruto knew both were experiencing the same pain.

Sweat poured from his brow and his whole body was slick with perspiration as his muscles weakened and began to tremble. His breathing quickened as he tried to contain the new power rushing through his veins like molten fire, but a blood curdling scream ripped from his mouth when he felt the vast amount of chakra enveloping his entire body, burning him inside. Kyuubi howled with pain as well, though not as physical as Naruto's, and tried to rein in his chakra as much as he could, but it was now Naruto's to control and no longer his.

Sasuke and Itachi arrived seconds after Naruto screamed in such pain that they were certain it would bring others very soon. Sasuke blanched at the pitiful creature lying in the grass that was Naruto. His clothes were torn to tatters, his hair was slick with sweat as well as the rest of his body, his skin was almost as pale as his own and he could _see_ the black chakra surrounding his body. His new chakra. It used to be blue and Kyuubi's used to be a crimson red, but now their chakra was a deep black—true black.

"Naruto!" He called and approached the blonde carefully. He stared down at him and was relieved to find him breathing, but unconscious. He knelt down, touching him lightly, but pulling away when he felt the raw chakra rushing into him and filling his body with such a rush of power it was almost addicting. "So this is why so many wanted Kyuubi…" He muttered. "Such power within him—within them."

"Get back!" Itachi ordered. "He's unstable right now, at any moment his chakra could consume him." When Sasuke didn't move, Itachi leapt towards him and forcefully pulled him away. "Are you listening? He's unstable! We have to conceal it before his chakra has a chance to explode. If it does, it'll destroy everything!"

Snapping to action, Sasuke worked with his brother to create a strong barrier around Naruto and then seven more right after that. Concentrating, he watched as the black haze over Naruto became more erratic and almost lightning like until black chakra surged from his body, breaking through four of the barriers in an instant. But the fifth held and the black chakra receded, back to its owner until nothing was left.

The brothers watched in silence, anticipating another blast of power, but nothing came and eventually they dropped their barriers, both hesitantly approaching the fallen blonde. "Naruto?" Sasuke asked softly, but the blonde didn't even stir. He let a finger brush against his skin and not feeling any hint of chakra, picked him up and headed back towards the house. "I think he'll be out for the rest of the day."

"Yes, I agree." Itachi nodded.

"Itachi-san!" Someone yelled as Sasuke disappeared inside the house with Naruto to lay him down in his room. "What just happened? Everyone is beginning to panic at the power we sensed; even some of the villagers sensed it."

Itachi looked at the Kage of Hidden Spring and bowed deep. "I am sorry Izukage, I have in my care a young Anbu ninja and his chakra reserve is vast. He is quite strong and talented, but he cannot control his chakra at all times and it sometimes breaks loose as it did today."

The Kage furrowed his brow, "Who is this ninja? How young?"

"He is called Uzumaki Naruto and he's seventeen. He is here with my brother and is rooming in my home."

"I know that name…"

"You may, but my otouto and I have this under control. We are helping him with his control, please inform the village that it is nothing to be concerned about, but please do not come here trying to see him. It may become dangerous."

"I wish to meet this boy." He demanded.

"Unfortunately, the boy is unconscious and most likely will not be waking up for the rest of the day."

"Then I will meet him tomorrow." The Kage insisted.

Itachi sighed, knowing the Kage wouldn't give up. "Very well."

"You are hesitant."

"He may live in my house, but that does not make it my decision."

"Then who's is it?"

"Sasuke's."

"Who the hell is Sasuke?" He shouted.

" _I'm_ Sasuke, who the hell are you?" He growled from behind the Kage. He smirked when he saw the middle aged man jump. Sasuke guessed he was about thirty, young for a village leader, but he could sense the high chakra reserve he had within him.

"Yuki, I'm the Kage of this country." He stuttered, trying to regain his composure. He hadn't even sensed the young man behind him arrive and he was the Kage!

"Well Yuki, what do you want with Naruto?"

"Is this how you treat your own Kage?" Yuki demanded.

Sasuke huffed, saying sarcastically. "Yes actually."

"Must be some small town Kage then if you can push him around that easily."

"Never said she was easy to push around, hell, Hokage-sama is the most stubborn person in the world, but that doesn't mean I gave her any more respect than I'm giving you right now."

"H-Hokage-sama…from the Fire Country."

"Hai."

Yuki narrowed his eyes. "Why did you travel all the way from Konoha to come here?"

"To visit my brother and his family."

"Without papers?"

"We have papers."

"Oh? I was informed of two _boys_ entering Hidden Spring without papers. Are you to tell me there are four new _boys_ in my village then and you and your companion are not them?"

Sasuke never did take well to sarcasm, even though he was sarcastic to almost everyone he met, and did the first thing that came to mind, appear behind the Kage with a kunai just under his chin. "If you want to start a fight then it'd be best if you didn't piss me off too early. I might just accidentally kill you and that'd be a tragedy."

"Sasuke!" Itachi shouted. "Enough."

He immediately dropped the kunai and stepped away, shaking his head and trying to get control of his emotions again. "Damn it…"

Itachi bowed low again, "Izukage, please pardon my brother, his friend has fallen unconscious and we do not know when he shall awaken or what will happen."

Sasuke also bowed, finally clearing his mind of anger and concern. "Please, I did not mean to harm you or lose control like that. The last couple days have been very stressful on me and I do not take well to sarcasm. I am only nineteen, but I am part of the Anbu as is Naruto and we have been given an unlimited vacation so that…" He stopped short, scolding himself for almost blurting out Naruto's secret.

"So that what?" Yuki asked.

"I cannot say."

"And why not?"

"We left for reasons concerning Naruto, my companion, and it is up to him if he wishes to share those reasons or not." Itachi frowned, he wasn't informed of this, he had thought they had traveled here just for him, but his brother now said they were given an unlimited vacation…that was rarely ever heard of and only given when a ninja mentally broke down.

"How do I know you are not missing nin?"

Sasuke pulled a wooden tablet out of his holster and handed it to the Kage, "This is a token from my Hokage with her signature on it. It allows me to withdraw cash from any place and also proves that I am not a missing nin."

"I see." He fingered the tablet and seeing it was legitimate, gave it back to Sasuke. "I apologize."

"Hn."

Yuki glanced at the brothers and then sighed, "I'll visit this Naruto tomorrow then."

"Hold on…" Sasuke said. "What's this about visiting Naruto?"

"Your brother said Naruto was here to help control his chakra, but that he was a very skilled ninja."

"I don't think it's safe to visit Naruto right now…" Sasuke said hesitantly.

"I am Kage here, I think I can handle it."

"You don't understand—"

"I will see him tomorrow or I will have you and your companion escorted to the borders of my land." He ordered.

Sasuke snorted, but agreed. "As long as he is well enough."

Yuki bowed to both of them, inclining his head to Itachi and then left.

Itachi rounded on Sasuke and crossed his arms. "What the hell were you thinking? He's the Kage!"

"I know," Sasuke looked away, even after all these years, Itachi still had the 'older brother' authority.

"Then will you please explain to me _why_ you attacked him?"

"I wasn't thinking completely straight…I was still mad at Naruto for not waking me up, I'm mad at myself for not waking up and now he won't wake up."

Itachi smirked, "You care for the blonde idiot."

"He's my friend, of course I do."

"No, you care for him more than that…" He suggested, but Sasuke just looked at him confused. "I mean—"

"Sasuke!" A scream erupted from Naruto's room and immediately Sasuke appeared beside Naruto. The blonde was wide awake, but he was frantic and his eyes kept flickering between red and blue. "Sasuke, what's happening?" He cried.

"Calm down, calm down." He whispered, slowly approaching Naruto and lightly touching his arm. "I don't know exactly, but you'll be fine."

"I'm scared." He whispered, his voice cracking.

"Come here." Sasuke said, sitting down at the head of the futon Naruto had been sleeping on and outstretching his arms to beckon Naruto to come to him. The blonde came almost immediately and sat down next to Sasuke. "You need to rest, lie down and place your head in my lap."

Naruto did as he was told and soon Sasuke's fingers were running through his hair softly. "It was so painful…"

"Shh, it's over now."

"No…there are three more." He said, looking up at Sasuke. "Kyuubi and I talked, a fourth of our power and chakra mix each time and so there are three more days."

"Every day?"

"Yeah…" He breathed in fear. "I-I can't survive it for another three days Sasuke! I can't!"

"Hey, I'm here and I'll protect you from anything I can. You just rest and keep reminding yourself it's only three more days."

"Three more days…three more days…It's making it worse." He wailed. "I can't do this, I can't."

"I'll be right here no matter what Naruto, so don't worry."

"But what about the other people? The citizens? They have no part in this so why should they suffer for it?"

"They won't suffer Naruto."

"But—"

"Itachi and I were able to conceal your power today and I'm certain we'll be able to do it again." He smirked, "You did give us quite a scare though, especially when I found your room empty. Naruto, you need to wake me up when this happens…"

"I didn't want to endanger you." He whispered.

"And I didn't want you to face this merging business by yourself."

"What if I can't control it Sasuke? What if I hurt someone, if I hurt _you_?"

"Stop worrying."

He sighed and looked away, closing his eyes, "I feel so weak…"

"Then rest."

"You're always caring for me and yet I haven't done anything for you."

"You've done plenty for me."

Naruto laughed at that and let out a sigh before giving into sleep.

* * *

Naruto slept for the entire day, finally awaking at sunrise and stumbling into Sasuke's room, saying the second merging was coming. Immediately, Itachi, Sasuke and six other jounin ninjas surrounded Naruto with barriers and seals in Itachi's yard and waited for it to begin.

It was the same as before, just more forceful, more power behind the outlet of chakra coming from Naruto and more broken barriers. After waiting a couple minutes after sunrise, Naruto's breathing quickened and he fell to his knees, perspiration already covering his entire body. Gripping his stomach tightly, he let out a grunt of pain and dug his nails into his stomach as he screamed. He could feel his nails lengthen and sharpen and he winced at the pinprick pain as they deeply entered his skin.

No one moved from their position, holding up the barriers and silently waiting as black chakra unleashed its wrath upon the barriers. Twelve were broken through that time and it left Naruto drained, hungry and scared, but he was still conscious at the end and with new knowledge.

"Sasuke," Naruto said as the dark shinobi helped him back to his room. "I know forbidden jutsus…I know how the Fourth sealed Kyuubi within me and I know how to undo it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Kyuubi, he knew how to destroy the seal, but he refused to."

Sasuke frowned, glancing behind him at Itachi, who was now listening intently. "Why?"

"Because it…it would destroy me as well."   
  


"And your fate is linked to the fox's, so he was tied." Itachi put in, but Naruto shook his head.

"No, he would be free if he reversed the seal, but he didn't want me to die as well. He says it's because I was innocent to my fate and he cannot find any reason to destroy me just so he can be free again."

Itachi smirked, "Looks like the Akatsuki was wrong about the Kyuubi."

"Everyone was." He whispered.

"Tell me Naruto-kun, why did he attack Konoha?"

He was quiet for a long time before shaking his head, "I do not know."

Sasuke frowned. With every word, Naruto's voice was becoming weaker and he was leaning on him more than before almost to where Sasuke was carrying his entire weight. "Stop talking. You need to rest now."

Naruto just nodded and didn't resist when Sasuke laid him down and commanded him to sleep. He just muttered his thanks and relaxed his body while his mind shifted through the memories and new knowledge he had gained. He had to find a way to separate his from Kyuubi's and put the memories in order. Right now it was all a jumble of fragments from different times and places. He knew it would take him a while and so while he slept, he let his mind wander through the memories, letting Kyuubi lead him through each one.

Dhampir   
Page 6   
2/24/2005

* * *

**Note:** Since this is the village of the Hidden Spring, I just looked up spring in Japanese and Izumi means fountain, so I just made the Kage Izukage.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them. 

**Note:** Rape, OOC and later Sasu-Naru

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Sixteen_

The third day passed much like the second, with Naruto waking them up just before sunrise and then going through another merging. The third merging was much stronger than the first or second and even with Yuki there, it was hard to contain. The black chakra was strong and different, it was hard to explain, but everyone could sense something different about it even though they couldn't tell what exactly it was.

Itachi, having studied Kyuubi and therefore knowing the most about the fox, had said because Kyuubi drew his chakra from a different source than humans, the chakra had a different feel to it. He couldn't predict how this would affect Naruto since their chakras were merging from two different sources, but the blonde acted more exhausted than anything else. There were times when he suddenly acted like Kyuubi, licking his lips when the smell of meat wafted through or when someone startled him from his sleep, but usually he was still the cheerful blonde ninja they knew—much to Sasuke's relief.

It was one of the most terrifying things for him to think about once again losing Naruto. He wasn't certain if he'd rather have Naruto dead over having someone he didn't know living in his body. All he knew was he wanted Naruto to stay the same; he wanted his best friend and no one else. Losing Naruto didn't just mean losing him from his life or this world, but also losing the blonde to insanity or just losing the person he knew. He wanted him to stay the same; he'd rather have him powerless and cheerful than powerful and be a stranger to him.

"What are you thinking of, little brother?" Itachi asked, taking a seat next to Sasuke. The past couple days he and Itachi were getting along well enough, especially since Naruto's merging. There were still times when Sasuke would move away from him in anger, especially in the mornings, but for the most part they spoke to each other and were almost brotherly.

"Everything." He sighed, placing his chin in his hands as he stared out over the field. "I can't stop wondering if Naruto will become someone I don't know."

"That scares you?"

Sasuke glared at him, "It's not funny."

Itachi just stared at him with his bloodstained eyes, "I never said it was."

He sighed, knowing he assumed too quickly that Itachi was amused by his concern. "I've known Naruto since the Academy, at first we were enemies—rivals—but we became more than that later on. We became teammates, then companions and then friends. He's my best friend…I never had one before."

"So you worry about losing the one you know?"

"Yes. I'm afraid he will no longer be my friend." He whispered.

They were both silent for a while before Itachi spoke the question Sasuke knew he would ask one day. "Tell me Sasuke, why did you let me live?"

"Do you regret it?"

"No. Mielin has been my…I can't say lover, but we did sleep together. An Akatsuki member does not have emotions, love is not possible. Yet I kept coming here to see her and eventually she became pregnant, twice. I married her when I awoke from our fight. I couldn't believe I was alive, but I decided that if I was being given a second chance…I'd take it and marry her." Itachi said, looking up at the stars.

Sasuke smirked, "I think that's the most you have said to me ever."   
  


He smirked as well, "Hn."

"So then you love this girl?"

Itachi fell silent and stared down at his hands. "Yes, yes I do. I thought after murdering our clan, I would never be able to love and then I met her…she changed everything in my life, turned it upside down and then set it right side up once more. I never told her about Akatsuki or why I left Konoha because I didn't want her to know about all the blood on my hands."

"So you said you were the last of your family and no more."

"Yes…"

"It wasn't me who let you live." Sasuke whispered. "It was Naruto."

Itachi startled and Sasuke couldn’t stop the grin forming to see his aniki so surprised, "He…why?"

"I was just about to kill you, take my revenge and then return to Konoha as whatever I became, but Naruto stopped me. He told me you were my only family left, no matter what you have done and if I did kill you, I would be no different from you and I'd be fulfilling your dream of destroying the entire clan. And he was right because if I had killed you then, I would've become like you and that would've killed me." Sasuke looked at his brother, "He saved both our lives and what he got for it was the village's hatred and your suspicion. I took him away from Konoha when…when they tried to kill him."

"So he's the reason I'm living here peacefully as a shinobi of the Hidden Spring."

"And the reason I'm still sane and not a missing nin." Sasuke added.

"Even after everything I did to him…I really do owe him my life twice as the Kyuubi had said."

Sasuke looked at Itachi, "Now it's your turn. Why did you leave me alive?"

"I couldn't kill you." He shrugged, "I just couldn't do it. Everyone else was so easy…even our parents, but you…you I couldn't kill. All the pressure, the praise and quick ascent to adulthood was too much…I snapped. I don't know exactly what the last straw was, but I remember learning some things about the clan I would rather not have known so young. I couldn't…handle it. So I murdered them all, but when I looked at you," he gave a small smile, "I couldn't do it. It wasn't possible."

He looked at his brother, seeing him in a different light, and gave a small nod. "There will never be a way that I can forgive you, no matter what wrong our clan committed, but we are all that's left and my defeating you shall suffice."

"My children like you." Itachi suddenly stated. "I always thought you'd be good with children."

Sasuke smiled, "At least I can take my time marrying now. The Uchiha line will continue since you now have two children."

"Are you saying you don't want to marry?"

He sighed, eyes rising to star at the stars. "I never was too keen on it…it became more of a duty to the clan than something I actually wanted to do."

"Then there is no special woman?"

"No." Shaking his head, "All the women I know are annoying stalkers. I _know_ you had the same problem as me before you got married."

"I still have that problem. Mielin gets jealous every time I go out."

Sasuke laughed, "She sounds like that type."

Itachi sighed, shaking his head, "I was certain a girl had gotten you beyond your past, but I guess I was wrong. Who was it then?"

"Naruto." He whispered, looking down again.

"He certainly has an effect on your life."

"You say I changed, but I could say the same of you. You're even different from how you used to be before the massacre."

"I wanted to be a husband Mielin would be proud of and so I changed for the better I guess." He sighed, "I still have days where I will be Uchiha Itachi, murderer and Akatsuki member, but those days become less each year." 

Sasuke looked up at the stars once more, it was different talking with his brother as if he was just a young child again, but he enjoyed it. There was still the tension between them that would never leave, but…he could see nights like this where they could enjoy each other's company and forget their pasts at least for a little while. "Hn." He suddenly stood up and stretched. "I'm going to bed aniki; I'll see you in the morning. Ready to tackle the last merging?"

"We can only hope."

* * *

"Sasuke." Itachi whispered into his brother's ear, nudging him lightly and Sasuke awoke immediately. "Something's wrong with Naruto-kun, he's calling for you." 

He didn't need any more prodding, he was up and stumbling across the hall to Naruto's room even before Itachi finished speaking. "Naruto!"

A frightened whimper was his response and Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks, his words falling silent as he stared at his companion. Naruto huddled in a corner, breathing hard and drenched with sweat. His hands were up, shielding his face from whatever he believed was hurting him and he kept pushing back against the wall with his feet planted firmly on the floor, trying to get farther away.

"N-Naruto." He whispered and slowly approached the blonde. Itachi, forgotten, stood in the doorway, watching his little brother soothingly speak to the smaller boy. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Stay away." He whispered, "Please stay away…I don't want to be hurt again."

"No one's going to hurt you again."

Naruto laughed, the sound hollow and sardonic. "Sasuke told me that. He said no one would ever hurt me again and he'd protect me, but he left me!" His voice broke as tears trailed down his cheeks, "He abandoned me…just like everyone else."

"No!" Sasuke protested, "I never left you Naruto, I'm right here."

"You can't trick me." His voice fell to a whisper again. "Sasuke abandoned me and your illusions won't work on me…"

"I'm not an illusion Naruto." He took a step towards him, but Naruto began to convulse and cry harder, causing Sasuke pause. "Please, just tell me what happened? I won't hurt you."

"No, no you'll hurt me just like everyone else!"

"Just trust me."

Naruto looked up at him with dead blue eyes and smiled, "The last time I trusted someone, they raped me, the time before that they molested me and harassed me and the time before that, they beat me. Trust is bad, don't trust, it's bad, bad, bad."

"Kyuubi!" Sasuke demanded, "What the hell happened to Naruto?"

Immediately the shaking stopped and his eyes became dilated and slit-like. He cocked his head and then growled. "How could you forget? What's tomorrow?"

"Naruto's birthday." He said immediately. "So wh…at…" It suddenly clicked in his mind and he gasped, "Oh shit."

"'Oh shit' is right. It's been a year tonight and I couldn't keep the memories suppressed this time. I've been trying but he's hysterical, the raping was too damaging and he can't keep them at bay." Kyuubi said solemnly.

Itachi narrowed his eyes, but stayed silent. _So the Kyuubi host was raped… why didn't he use the power of the fox to stop them?_

Glancing at his brother, Sasuke saw what was running through his mind. "He had exhausted Kyuubi's chakra and his own and he was already distracted because his birthday was coming up. Being the Kyuubi, people usually beat him or did something on that day as punishment. He was taken by surprise and thought it better to go along with them instead of fighting them, but he never knew they meant to rape and kill him."

"The kit is in a state of shock and fear—shock from the power and memories he's been receiving and fear from everything that happened a year ago.” Kyuubi growled, wrinkling his nose at the sweat soaked shirt he was wearing and pulling it off. “I can't do anything for him, we're going to have to let him get through this day and help him after he's calmed down."  


"I refuse." Sasuke said coldly. "Give Naruto control again."

"It's not—"

"Give him control!" He snapped and Kyuubi immediately dropped his control, but not before giving the Uchiha a heated glare. Naruto's breathing quickly changed to one of panic and his blue eyes darted around the room looking for the rapists. "Naruto, it's me Sasuke." He whispered, kneeling down before the blonde before the memories took hold of him again.   
  


"Sa…Sasuke?" He muttered, his eyes half closed as he tried to find something to hang onto.

"Listen to my voice, focus on me. Remember, this happened a year ago, they're dead now and no one's going to hurt you."

"Sasuke…" He cried.

"Just focus on me and come back to the present."

"I don't want to be hurt anymore."

"I wish I could promise that Naruto, but I can't…But I can promise I will always be here for you."

Blue eyes focused on black, full of tears and a spark of recognition. "You never left me?"

"No, I've been here the entire time."

"But the men…they were here." He whispered.

"No, no they weren't. It was just memories."

"But they were so real. I c-could feel the rocks, I couldn't breathe when they tried to drown me, the thorns, they tore into my skin and the metal, I could feel it cutting so deep and I could hear m-my bones cracking under their hands and kunais…a-and…and I could…I could…I could f-feel them inside me, h-hurting m—" He was suddenly cut off by a pair of soft lips on his own. Naruto gasped and moved back to see who kissed him. Never had anyone kissed him and so softly, so care filled. When he looked up into black depths surrounded by pale skin and dark locks, the memories faded to the background, almost forgotten as he stared wide eyed at his best friend. "Sasuke…?"

Sasuke jerked back and he stared down at Naruto, more shocked than the one he had kissed. "I-I-I-I…" He stuttered and stumbled back, "I'm sorry Naruto." He then pushed passed Itachi and scrambled to find something—anything—to wear so he could leave this house. He needed to think and as much as he wanted to stay near Naruto during, he was afraid staying would only make the blonde worse. He opened his door and stopped short when Itachi grabbed his shoulder.

"If you want, there's no one at the Academy right now and if anything happens, I can retrieve you…" The elder Uchiha offered with a shrug.

"Thank you and tell Naruto I'm sorry again. I don't know what came over me." He said, starting past Itachi.

"Do you regret it Sasuke?" He called, making his brother turn around.

Sasuke just stared blankly.

"Maybe this wasn't the best time, but do you regret kissing him? Didn't you tell me that he changed your life and that he meant a lot to you?"

"Y-yeah, but—"

"Think about it Sasuke, think long and hard,” Itachi advised, “and ask yourself, do you regret any of the time you've spent with him, do you want him out of your life or do you want him beside you forever?"

He nodded, dressing quickly, and then disappeared out of the house, immediately heading for the Academy. When he arrived, he slowly walked to the playground, taking a seat on one of the swings. He couldn't believe what he had done; he had taken advantage of Naruto's weak state and forced himself upon the blonde. Naruto had been tortured and raped! How could kissing him help him? Now Naruto would be afraid of him and be thinking if he was going to rape him too and he'd leave him to stay safe.

Yet he didn't regret it. "Do you regret it, Sasuke?" Itachi's voice kept echoing in his head and every time he heard that question, the answer was no. Slowly rocking back and forth on the swing, he thought over all the times with Naruto, from when they first met until he kissed him and he couldn't find a second he regretted. He wouldn't even change when he had tried to kill him all those years ago or when he and Naruto took on the entire Sound village. He wouldn't change a single thing because it's what made him into the person he was today and even Naruto getting raped had brought them closer together.

He couldn't deny he found Naruto cute, even before he ever thought about kissing him, which he hadn’t even thought about prior to it happening. He always found the blonde cute, especially when he pouted and Sasuke couldn't help but smile when he did, but Naruto really was cute, even hot. Tanned skin, bright blue eyes, toned muscles, messy blonde hair, cute whisker marks on his cheeks and pale red lips that were just so kissable…Thinking about how kissable his lips were, Sasuke found he wanted to do it again. He wanted to kiss Naruto and hold him and feel his small form next to his. It wasn't that he missed having a body in his bed at night, but that it was he missed having _Naruto_ against his side, sighing softly, snuggling into his chest and whining when he moved. He found it was Naruto he wanted and that kiss they just shared only kindled his spark of want into a growing flame.

But still…he shouldn't have done that. He just saw Naruto hurting and crying, saw how his eyes began to dull and shadow over as he began thinking about everything that had happened to him and when he began to speak about it, he just couldn't take it anymore. He wanted Naruto to stop hurting, he wanted to comfort him and _love_ him and he did the first thing that came to his mind—kiss him. It had been a sweet, chaste kiss and Sasuke savored it, he wanted to kiss him again…but he doubted Naruto felt the same way as he. Sighing, he continued rocking; replaying the kiss over and over in his head and wishing he could do it again. "Do you regret it Sasuke?"

"No…" He whispered to the empty schoolyard, "I don't regret it at all."

* * *

Itachi returned to Naruto's room. The blonde had stopped reminiscing and was now set solely in the present—specifically on what just transpired between he and Sasuke. He saw the blonde slowly turn to look up at him and finger his lips lightly. "Why'd he do that?"

"Because he wanted you to stop hurting." He answered coolly. There were times like these he wished he could place more emotion in his voice, even if he didn't feel it, but it proved impossible for him.

"But…why?"

"Because he loves you."

Naruto scowled darkly at that, "No one loves me. In eighteen years, no one has ever loved me."

"My otouto does."

"No, he doesn't. Why would he love someone like me?" He yelled, crying once more. "I'm broken, soiled…I've been defiled five times and above that, I have Kyuubi living inside of me! How could anyone love me? Sasuke is everything the opposite of me, he's loved by all, he's beautiful and nice when he wants to be and he's _pure_."

Itachi's expression became darker and darker as Naruto continued speaking. "So what? Sasuke doesn't care about that and neither should you."

"All I ever do is hurt him…" He whispered.

"Do you?" He questioned, "He thinks it's quite the opposite. You are the reason he's still sane today and not living as I had for most of my life and you're his best friend, are you not?"

Naruto pulled his knees up to his chin, "I just wanted someone to love me, for me, even if just for an hour…maybe that's why I let _it_ happen…maybe I wanted to feel loved and so I let them do whatever they wished, but…I didn't feel loved. I felt used, dirty and unworthy." He began to cry harder and buried his face in his hands, "I am unworthy of even being his friend!"

"Sasuke does want to love you, Naruto." Itachi whispered, "I see the way he looks out for you, how he watches you and how he smiles at you. It's just up to you about what you want to do…"

"I-I can't.” Naruto said vehemently. “I'll just hurt him in the long run. I hurt everyone in the end!"

"If you truly think that, then stay here, but if you want to give him a chance to love you and yourself a chance to heal, he's at the Academy."

"You really have changed Itachi." He gave a weak smile, lifting his head just high enough for Itachi to see it.

"And all because of you Naruto-kun. Just remember that." Then he exited the room, knowing Naruto and Sasuke would both be fine.

* * *

"Sasuke?" Naruto whispered. He was still dressed only in his night pants and he could feel the cool wind against his skin, sending a shiver down his spine at how exposed he was. He hadn’t thought about how he was dressed before coming to the Academy, his only thought was on finding Sasuke. He looked around at the empty Academy and spotted a dark figure near the swings. At first he froze, his mind immediately superimposing one of his rapists over the figure, but then he saw the dark blue clothing and headband. "Sasuke." He breathed out, smiling with relief that he had found his friend.

Sasuke was so absorbed in his thoughts; he didn't even hear the quiet footsteps approaching him from behind until they were almost upon him. He suddenly jumped up and spun around, expecting an enemy but finding deep blue eyes instead. "Naruto?"

"Hi Sasuke…" He said meekly and took the swing next to his. "You know, some things are confusing. Like the difference between grilled chicken ramen and chicken ramen. And the relationship between Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei and Kyuubi, he's a whole subject by himself!" He smiled, trying his best to lighten the mood.

"Then there's us." He said, watching Naruto closely.

He began rocking the swing, dropping his gaze to the ground. "Yeah…there's that…"

"Naruto, I'm so sorry." Sasuke suddenly blurted out, "I didn't mean to do that, I didn't mean to add to your sorrow and make you afraid of me."

The swing stopped abruptly, his voice so low it was almost inaudible. "Then it meant nothing…"

"No! No, that's not what I meant." He said, raking a hand through his hair. "That isn't what I meant at all."

"Then what do you mean Sasuke?" Naruto demanded, "Because right now I'm so confused that I don't even know what I mean."

"I didn't mean to kiss you like that."

"Then you do regret it."

Sasuke looked Naruto in the eye so he could see he wasn't lying when he said, "No, I don't regret it at all."

"Then why do say you didn't mean to kiss me like that?"

"Not in that setting I guess." He shrugged, "I thought it might have made things worse, but I guess I was wrong."

Naruto smiled, standing up. "No, it brought me back to this time instead of _that_ time. So if you didn't regret it, but you didn't mean it that way, then what did you mean?"

"I…I really don't know." Sasuke finally answered.

"And if I were to stand this close," he asked, standing inches away from his body and centimeters between their lips, "what would you feel?"

"I'd feel…" Sasuke paused, truly thinking it over. "I'd feel confusion and fear, but also longing and I think love…" He continued, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"Then if I did this, you wouldn't regret it?" He asked before pressing his lips against Sasuke's. The dark shinobi responded eagerly and impatiently swiped his tongue over Naruto's lips, begging for entrance.

Naruto, not used to a tongue against his lips, opened them slightly, but it was enough room for Sasuke to explore his mouth with his tongue. Sasuke gave a low moan and brought one hand up to Naruto's neck while the other traveled up his arm. Feeling the hand traveling up his arm, Naruto panicked and jerked away from Sasuke. "S-sorry." He whispered and closed his eyes, reminding himself that Sasuke wasn't going to hurt him.

"No, I'm sorry." Sasuke said and stepped towards him, slowly wrapping his arms around the smaller boy to not take him by surprise. "I shouldn't have done that and we can take it as slow as you want Naruto, if you want to try this, I don't care if it takes you years to feel completely comfortable around me."

"What do you want, Sasuke?"

"I want to try this." He said gravely, "I want to be next to you, I want to kiss you, I want to be in your life and I want to love you."

Naruto smiled, leaning into Sasuke's embrace and resting his head on his shoulder slowly. "You really are wonderful when you're nice, you should be a bastard less often."

Sasuke snorted, "Just had to ruin the moment."

"What can I say, that's me!" He grinned, wrapping his arms around Sasuke's neck and relishing in the heat of another. "But thank you…for understanding."

He didn't say anything, but tighten his grip on Naruto and rest his head on top of his. "You're going to get sick staying out here, we should get you back."

"Sasuke…" Naruto began, stepping back from Sasuke before the fear at the back of his mind became impossible to ignore. "We'll soon be going through the last merging and…and I'm afraid I'll change a-and…"

He placed a finger on his lips to stop Naruto from continuing, "I'm not going to hate you nor will my feelings change Naruto."

He smiled, relief flooding his face, and interlaced his fingers with Sasuke's. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"Everything." He said, brushing his lips against Naruto's lightly.

Naruto responded to the light touch and sought Sasuke out with his mouth, giving in to temptation and opening his mouth to Sasuke. He moaned when he felt a slick tongue slide across his and attentively returned the favor, slowly tracing Sasuke's mouth with his tongue.

When Sasuke pulled away, he smiled down at the flushed Naruto and tenderly brushed away wisps of blonde hair so he could see those blue eyes even better. "You're beautiful…" He whispered, which made Naruto blush furiously and look away, but he wouldn't let him for long. "Don't think I'm joking." Silently wondering why it took him so long to see just how beautiful he was.

"No one's ever said that…" He whispered.

"Too bad for them," Sasuke began, tilting his head upward and staring onto his eyes, "because they're missing out, but of course, that also means you're all mine." He then pressed his lips against his in a tender kiss which left Naruto breathless and half lidded with want.

"Sasuke…" He breathed.

Sasuke pulled him close and focused on his room in Itachi's house. "Come on, let's get back." Naruto just nodded, not trusting his voice, and suddenly he found himself in Sasuke's room. Sasuke pulled away to undress once more, not missing how Naruto's eyes followed his every move, and then settled down to sleep for at least a couple hours before the last merging.

Naruto just watched, he was made breathless at the pale skin of Sasuke's body as he changed and as much as he wanted to, he couldn't look elsewhere. After he finished changing, he lay down and left Naruto standing uncomfortably in his room. "Sasuke…" He asked hesitantly, "C-can I…I-I don't want to be alone tonight…please, can I sleep with you?"

Sasuke looked up at him and smiled warmly, lifting one arm up as a beckon. "Come on."

Naruto slid beneath Sasuke's arm and rested his head on his chest and wrapped his arms around his waist. It was the first time Naruto purposely slept with Sasuke and he liked feeling safe as Sasuke's arm wrapped slowly around his shoulder. "Night Naruto." He whispered as sleep took him.

"Night…"

* * *

Naruto awoke in a panic. He felt the arms around him and immediately thought of the rapists and began struggling. He pulled away from his attacker and stumbled away from him just to see Sasuke watching him silently. "Sasuke." He said, closing his eyes in relief. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I told you, I can wait as long as it takes you." Sasuke answered, watching him closely.

"It's time." He said, changing the subject to more pressing matters. "Be careful, this is the last one and I don't know what to expect."

Sasuke nodded and began dressing. "I'll wake Itachi and the others." 

"Please…be careful." He repeated, stepping towards Sasuke and grabbing his arm to kiss him tenderly. "I don't want to lose you so soon."

Sasuke smiled and kissed him again, "You won't get rid of me that easily."

He smirked, "Good." Yet his expression darkened when he felt the wave of power rising within him. "This one's coming fast, hurry!" He almost shouted and leapt out the window, onto the roof and then into the yard. He could feel the power surging and his blood turn into molten fire, he could feel Kyuubi calling to him, telling him something was wrong and they wouldn't survive. It was too much power for a single human to control and the chakra sources weren't matching correctly. "What the hell does that mean, Kyuubi?" He demanded, already gripping his stomach painfully.

_-It means we're going to die baka-_

"There must be something we can do…"

_-It's too much power, damn it-_

Twelve shinobi arrived, Sasuke just before him and Itachi and Yuki standing on either side of him. The other's spread out accordingly and began putting up layer after layer of barriers. Naruto searched his mind, trying to find some way to stay alive and not hurt everyone else. "It's too much power for one person…" He repeated and immediately a way came to him. He fell to his knees, feeling the power starting to merge with his and groaned painfully. He felt as if he was going to explode there was so much power within him. "It's too much! Kyuubi, I have an idea."

_-Then do it kit-_

Naruto steadied himself on his knees and began chanting as his hands began the signs of a jutsu. Both Sasuke and Itachi were following it with their blood limits, but neither knew what he was doing. _Please…let this work!_ The power swelled within him, just beneath the skin, and when Naruto completed the last hand sign it broke from him as a raging torrent of black chakra.

The vortex swirled around him and Naruto felt as if he was being ripped to pieces, he could just hear Sasuke's voice calling out to him in fear above his own screams and knew Itachi was holding his brother back from leaping in after him. He kept waiting for the power to kill him, destroy him and leave nothing, but it didn't and when it finally receded, he felt weary and ragged, but alive. The black chakra died down and Naruto looked at everyone tiredly, giving a slight smirk to Sasuke when everyone let out a collected gasp.

For behind Naruto stood a large black nine tailed fox.

Dhampir   
Page 11   
2/27/2005

* * *

**Note:** And enter Kyuubi! ^_^ 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY!! Ya'll waited SIXTEEN chapters for some action ^_~ 
> 
> Hope it was worth the wait!


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Note:** Rape, OOC and Sasu-Naru

_-Kyuubi Talking-_

* * *

**  
Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Seventeen_

Sasuke paused only for a second to stare at the great black fox standing behind Naruto, blue slitted eyes gazing at everyone, before rushing to Naruto's side. "Naruto! Are you all right?" He asked, pulling the smaller boy into his arms.

"I'll…" Naruto started hoarsely and cleared his throat to no avail, "I'll be all right in the end." He turned to the fox behind him though he couldn't really see Kyuubi well and smiled, "How do you feel, Kyuubi?"

_-I…I've got my own body again-_ He moved his tails and trotted around carefully, _-It's not an illusion, what did you do kit?-_

"I really don't know." He said, shaking his head while he shifted around so he could lean back on Sasuke more comfortably, his back against Sasuke's arm and his right shoulder against his left. Sasuke's arms encircled his torso and he was kneeling down Naruto partially in his lap. "It just came to my mind when you said it was too much power for one person."

_-Yet we're still linked, I can feel it.-_

Naruto nodded and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back on Sasuke. Arms tightened around his midsection and he felt a soft kiss on his crown. "I think I love you, Sasuke." He whispered as the last of his conscious fell into black oblivion.

Sasuke smirked and rested his head on Naruto's, "Dobe." He then turned to the fox that now everyone was cautiously approaching. "What exactly happened, Kyuubi?"

Kyuubi laid down and wrapped his tails around him. He was a little larger than a horse and more beautiful than anything he had ever seen with sleek black fur and vibrant blue eyes. _-Our chakras were too much for one body and we would've died if he hadn't split our chakra and changed the seal so I could exist outside of his body. The seal he did, I don't know where he learned it or where it came from, but I am pure chakra, that is why I am black furred instead of red as I once was.-_

"But you said you're still linked?" Sasuke asked, staring at Naruto's bare chest or more importantly, his stomach where the seal lay. It had changed dramatically; instead of a flat red spiral it became a three dimensional black spiral spreading from an inch over his navel to an inch below it.

He nodded, _-Yes, our lives are still linked to each other, he dies, I die, but it's also vise-versa now. I die, he dies.-_

"But you're not going to die, right?" Sasuke smirked.

_-Right.-_

"So then…now what do we do?" Yuki asked from behind him. "Who is the fox?"

Kyuubi focused on the young man and gave a toothy grin. _-I'm Kyuubi no Kitsune little human.-_

" _T-the_ Kyuubi?" Yuki stuttered, audibly swallowing before the fox.

_-The same.-_

"B-but you were killed, destroyed! How are you here?"

_-I was never destroyed, I lived inside Naruto.-_ The fox said in a bored tone.

Yuki rounded on Itachi, "You never said that! You said he had trouble controlling his chakra, not that he was the demon!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and calmly stood up, lying Naruto on the ground carefully, "Kyuubi, watch him while I take care of this _cretin_." His voice coming out deep and deadly.

_-Don't kill him, I want to.-_ Kyuubi growled just as deadly, slowly standing until he stood over Naruto.

Itachi glared at Yuki and stopped Sasuke before he did something stupid. "I will take care of him." Turning back to Yuki, he stepped inches from him, "Naruto is not a demon and as you can see, neither is Kyuubi." He hissed coldly. "It was true what I said, he was having trouble controlling his chakra and he does have great potential. Kyuubi being within him is a trivial thing."

"A _trivial_ thing?" Yuki raged. "He never should've been allowed inside our walls, what if the demon got loose and attacked the village?"

_-I'm free right now-_ Kyuubi quipped, causing everyone to still _-Am I attacking? No.-_

Yuki audibly gulped and nervously stuttered, "Ah…I-I didn't mean anything by it…"

Kyuubi slowly walked over to the Kage, circling him. _-You know, I could change my mind if you continue to speak about my kit like that. He's the reason Konoha wasn't completely destroyed. If not for him, I would still be free.-_

He looked down, knowing what the fox said was true. "Forgive me."

_-I'm not the one you should be asking forgiveness from.-_ He snorted and went back to Sasuke and Naruto, lying down next to them. He flecked his tongue across Naruto's face and then sighed, _-He'll be fine, but the jutsu he did wore him out.-_

Sasuke nodded, but his eyes never left Naruto's face. "He'll awaken tomorrow, right?"

_-Most likely, yes.-_

"And he'll be himself?"

_-Yes, we are still separate beings.-_

He sighed, "Good."

Kyuubi gave him a sidelong glance, _-The kit likes you.-_

"And do you approve?"

Kyuubi bared his teeth in a grin, _-Very much.-_

"Then I'll take him up to his room." Sasuke said and hefted Naruto into his arms. No one said a word as Sasuke walked past them, refusing to meet anyone's eyes except for Itachi's, and even with him it was brief. He wasn't going to let anyone touch Naruto except for Kyuubi and himself and he would be damned if he was going to let anyone hurt him.

Lying Naruto down, Sasuke sat down at his head and began brushing his fingers through his blonde spikes. He couldn't believe all this time with the blonde baka and he never knew he liked him—he couldn't say love yet, he wasn't certain, but there were times where that's what it felt like to him…

He glanced out the window and saw everyone who had helped with Naruto was now speaking with Itachi and Kyuubi, the fox was probably threatening anyone who dared speak of this to the village with painful deaths while Itachi was probably trying to smooth things out between himself and the others. He hadn't meant to cause any strife between his brother and the village.

Glancing at Naruto, he quickly left, making his way back outside and arrived beside Itachi. The Kage was demanding to know everything about Naruto and how dangerous he was and also berating him for withholding information. Sasuke stepped between the Kage and his brother and bowed deeply. "I apologize Kage, I never meant to bring danger to your village and neither did Naruto. It was my wish that he stay near a village in case something happened, Naruto wished to go elsewhere where there were no people. Itachi was kind enough to allow us to live in his house and offer his help, but if anyone deserves your anger and punishment, it is I." 

Yuki stared at the younger Uchiha in surprise, "It was you who wanted the boy to stay here? Why?"

"I know it was unwise but I wanted him around people who could help him. He wanted to go to an unpopulated place and I worried that if something happened then he would die. I wanted him to stay where at least there was a hospital."

"Then why didn't you go back to Konoha?"

Sasuke looked at Kyuubi, he had an idea why, but he wasn't certain. _-Though our chakras were merging and causing great outlets of power, we were at our weakest. As I'm certain the Uchihas know, the kit isn't exactly welcome in Konoha, they already tried to kill him once and if they knew he was helpless, they would kill him. I thought it best to not return there at this time.-_

"Didn't the Hokage stop such acts?" The Water Kage asked, shock evident in his voice.

_-They tried, but she can't be there at all times and not all ninjas are willing to follow the Hokage's orders when it comes to the kit.-_

Yuki paled, "That's horrible!"

Kyuubi glanced sideways at him _-I'm glad you agree. He never fought back either, he didn't want to hurt the villagers and he also knew it was wiser to let them do what they wished than be accused of losing control of me and hurting someone. He knew then the Hokage would have no other choice than to exile or kill him if that happened.-_

"I guess I judged both of you wrongly." Yuki said softly before bowing to the fox. "Forgive me?"

He didn't answer, but inclined his head, and then stood. _-I think I will look around on my own. The forests and game here must be different and I can already feel it calling to me.-_

"You have my permission great fox."

Kyuubi let out a throaty laugh _–As if I need it!-_ Almost no one even saw the fox move as he suddenly rushed off into the woods and everyone stared at the place where Kyuubi once stood in silence. Sasuke smirked and without a word walked back into Naruto's room to wait for the blonde to wake up.

Yuki spoke with Itachi for a while longer while the others left for their own homes and lives. After Yuki left, Itachi entered Naruto's room and smirked, Sasuke was already fast asleep next to the blonde, one arm slung around his waist while the other intertwined their fingers. He was spooned against Naruto's back and his head rest against Naruto's neck.

"I guess it can wait until later." He whispered and stepped out of the room to see his wife and children and tell them what happened. He could just see now how Mielin was going to react to having a large fox staying in their yard from now on.

* * *

Naruto groaned and rolled onto his back, he felt like shit and he was certain he looked it too. He allowed himself a few minutes to let the memories come back to him and grinned, Kyuubi now had his own body again and he could have his own life as long as neither of them died. He also knew why Kyuubi had attacked Konoha now and it was all over a misunderstanding. Some stupid ninja had offended him and so he attacked the idiot and caused a huge war between them. Naruto would've laughed at the absurdity if so many people hadn't died because of it.

Groaning, he slowly pushed off the bed and headed for the door, yet his always great timing clumsiness caused him to trip over his feet and onto the floor. "Ow…" He whispered and sat up so he could rub his ankle.

"Jeez, you finally wake up and the first thing you do is trip? You dobe."

Without even seeing him, Naruto knew who it was and let out a whine, "Sasuke!"

"What?" He grinned, knowing what was coming next.

"You're so mean!"

"I'm just stating the obvious."

"But it's still mean!"

Sasuke knelt down beside him, centimeters from his face, making Naruto blush without even touching him, which entertained Sasuke to no end that he could make the blonde blush without even laying a finger on him or saying anything. "If I was so mean, then why would I kiss you?" He whispered before pressing his lips against Naruto's. The blonde idiot had been unconscious for six days and it was slowly driving Sasuke insane. Tasting Naruto again was like tasting heaven and Sasuke couldn't help but let a small moan out as Naruto opened his mouth to him. Slipping his tongue inside, he pressed closer to the blonde, savoring in his body heat. When they finally parted, Sasuke smiled, leaning his forehead against Naruto's. "Am I still mean?"

Naruto grinned, "I'm not sure…I may need a repeat to be certain first."

He laughed and leaned in for a second kiss, letting Naruto enter his mouth to explore it. This time Naruto was the one to moan and the smaller boy leaned into his touch. "Sasuke." He moaned, deepening the kiss. Sasuke grinned despite himself and pulled Naruto closer to him.

"I've missed you." He whispered.

Naruto pulled away, frowning, "Missed me? I've only been out a day!"

"A day?" He snorted, "Make that six, dobe."

"S-six?" He gaped, "Six days! Why didn't someone wake me up? Did it work? Is Kyuubi okay? Did anyone get hurt? Was—"

Sasuke placed a finger over his lips, successfully silencing him. "Slow down, dobe, just take it easy okay? We did try to wake you up—I even kicked you."

It took a second for his words to click, but when they did, Naruto scowled. "You kicked me? You bastard!"

He shrugged, "What? You wouldn't wake up and so I kicked you, but you were asleep so it doesn't matter."

"You kicked a sick man?"

"You're a man now?"

"Sasuke!"

"Don't start with the mean thing again." He growled, but amusement glinted in his eyes.

"But you're being mean!" He pouted. "How can you kick me when I'm weak and unconscious?"

"I didn't hurt you…"

His answer was bland and only caused Naruto to pout even more. "But still! How can you be so cruel?"

"Fine, I'll just make it up to you." Sasuke said and kissed him again.

Naruto melted into the kiss, he felt his breath hitch and his eyes flutter close as Sasuke assaulted his mouth with teeth and tongue. When Sasuke finally let him go, Naruto reflexively followed, whispering, "You're not forgiven yet."

"Oh?"

"Not even close."

Sasuke chuckled and bit Naruto's lip playfully, "Then I guess food is part of the deal, right?"

"You know me too well." Naruto grinned, “Also, if it’s been six days, then I _am_ a man because that makes _me_ eighteen, ha!”

Chortling, Sasuke pulled away and stood up, pulling Naruto up with him. "Come on, we should inform everyone you're awake, especially Kyuubi."

"So the jutsu has held…I knew it worked, but I didn’t know if it would be temporary or not." He said and leaned against Sasuke. He didn't have all his strength back yet and he trusted Sasuke more than his feet to get him to his destination.

"Tell me, how are you feeling around me?" Sasuke suddenly asked, it had been bothering him for the last week. He still remembered how Naruto moved away from him when they first agreed to try dating and even more how frightened he was when he awoke that morning in his arms.

"Isn't it obvious?" Naruto asked, cocking an eyebrow. "I practically hang all over you and I've kissed you."

"I mean…" he sighed, "I mean do I scare you? Do I remind you of _them_ or anyone else who hurt you?"

Naruto answered immediately, shaking his head vigorously. "No, I don't like to touch others and sometimes when I'm surprised by your touch the memories come back, but you're the only one I can let near. You're the only one whose touch doesn't cause me to freeze up Sasuke."

"Then you're okay with this?"

Naruto leaned over and brushed his lips over the corner of Sasuke's. "I'm fine with it."

"Will you two stop making out in my hallway?" Itachi said blandly and both boys looked up at the older Uchiha leaning against the doorway. "I look down here ten minutes ago and you two are making out, I come back now and you two are _still_ making out."

"But who can resist such a cute face?" Sasuke grinned.

A faint blush colored Naruto's cheeks, but he still managed a retort. "Hey! You look more like a girl than I do!"

"But you're the one who mastered shifting into a woman."

Itachi cocked an eyebrow. "You can turn into a woman?"

Naruto glowered, "It comes in handy…"

_-Kit! Get your ass out here right now before I destroy this house-_ Kyuubi yelled.

"I'm coming you grouchy old fox! Geez, no patience." Naruto grumbled and tugged at Sasuke to help him outside.

Kyuubi was standing just outside the door and right when he saw Naruto, he began to dance around like a young fox kit, yipping at him with joy. _-You're alive and well! This is wonderful-_

"Kyuubi…you're…black." Naruto gaped. The fox was beautiful, but Naruto remembered his form inside him. Kyuubi was huge, ten times as big as now and red fur and golden eyes, not blue!

The fox grinned _-Yes, I think this is much of an improvement. I always did like silver foxes and now I am one! And the blue eyes…I guess that means I carry some of you within me, just as you carry some of me within you.-_

"My whiskers…"

Sasuke grinned, "Have become darker, more prominent on your face and your canines have become sharper…trust me, I know."

"Well, I didn't hear you complaining a few minutes ago!" He whined.

"I'm not, I'm not, just informing."

Kyuubi finally calmed down and wrapped his dark tails around his feet as he sat down. _-I am glad you are well again, we have been worried about you. Six days was a long rest-_

"I think my body needed time to repair itself and also time to regain my lost chakra. That jutsu took a lot of energy, I almost drained my entire reserve."

Sasuke slapped him upside the head, "You idiot! You could've been killed!"

_-We would've been killed if he hadn't done this.-_

"I just…"

_-Don't want to lose him.-_

Naruto smiled and interlaced their fingers. "You're not going to lose me, I promise, but this was the only way we could both live. There was too much chakra for me to control so quickly and creating another entity was the only way I saw out of it."

Sasuke smiled, "I just can't help but worry about you. You're such a baka that I can't let you out of my sight or you'll hurt yourself."

His smile turned into a pout, "You're doing it again."

"Well then, I'll just have to make it up to you." Sasuke smirked, leaning towards him.

"Oh will you stop!" Itachi yelled, throwing up his hands. "Every single time!"

Sasuke looked away, slightly blushing while Naruto turned as red as a tomato. "We're planning this all out just to annoy you, aniki."

"For once, I believe you."

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered, staring down at his hand where a Rasangan had formed. "My chakra is still black…"

He frowned, _when had he formed that? I didn't even detect it!_ "Kyuubi explained it to us. He said since you two are still connected, you share the same chakra; therefore your chakra is black. Kyuubi said he's pure chakra and that's why he's complete black instead of red as he used to be."

Naruto dispersed the Rasangan and tried it again. "I see. And my chakra reserve is quite extensive now."

"Yes, you two share the same amount of chakra now."

"Hey Kyuubi! What are you going to do now?"

Kyuubi cocked his head _-What do you mean-_

"I mean, are you going to go elsewhere now? Find a mate or what?"

_-I think I'll stay with you two. Sasuke can care for himself, but he cannot care for you as well when someone ambushes you. I'll stay nearby just in case –_

"Hey!" Naruto protested, "What does that mean?"

_-What does it sound like-_ He wagged his tails playfully.

"Now _you're_ gonna be mean to me too? All it took was six days with teme here," he pointed his thumb at Sasuke, “and you’re already on his side?

_-Come on! You're used to it by now. Eighteen years of me and you're telling me you're still not used to my insulting you and torturing you?-_

"Sasuke! Tell him to stop being mean."

"But it's true." The black haired nin smirked.

"You're both so mean!" Naruto said and stormed away, though he was already tiring without Sasuke’s support.

"Hey! Hold on Naruto." Sasuke called before wrapping both arms around his waist and affectively stopping the blonde in his tracks. "I didn't mean to chase you away and I still need to give you your birthday gift." He said, resting his head on Naruto's shoulder. "Don't go."

Naruto smiled, he couldn't resist him. "I'll stay…as long as I get my birthday gift right now!" He joked.

Sasuke grinned, "I wish I could give it to you right now, but that'll be slightly impossible…"

"Huh? Why?"

"Because, you'll have to wait until its dark outside, but I can promise you it'll be tonight, okay?"

Naruto tried to stick his lip out in a pout, but it kept turning into a smile and he soon gave up, "Okay!"

Itachi just groaned and headed back inside, deciding it best to wait until they were separated to approach them. At this rate, he'd never get a word in.

* * *

"Where are you taking me?' Naruto whined. He was blindfolded and being led through the streets by Sasuke and though he trusted Sasuke, he didn't like not being able to see where he was. They had been walking for over ten minutes and still, he had no idea of where they were going and the fox wasn't much help either. Every time he asked Kyuubi where they were going, he just laughed and said _-It's a secret-_ in a sing-song voice.

Sasuke gave a low laugh, "You're too impatient Naruto."

"We've been walking around for like an hour!" He pouted, "I think you're just leading me around on purpose."

"And what if I am?"

"Then I'm gonna hurt you." Naruto growled.

"But then you wouldn't get your birthday present."

He sighed and tried whining again. "Sasuke, you're so mean!"

"Okay, okay, we're here." He sighed, really, Naruto had no patience for anything he did. Be it cleaning, fighting, walking or eating.

"Really?" He began jumping up and down, "Then I can take this off?"

"Yes," he sighed again, "you can take it off."

"Yay!" He immediately tore the blindfold off and was getting ready to scold Sasuke when he saw what was before him. He stopped breathing at the site before him and fell back against Sasuke. "It's…"

Sasuke wrapped his arms around him, "Do you like it?"

"You mean this is my present?"

"I told you, you have to wait until dark to see it."

Naruto was struck speechless. Before him was a hot spring, lights swirling in blue and purple, crystals sparkling at the edge giving the illusion of stars all around them and the full moon reflecting on the water brightly. Yet that was not what caught Naruto's eyes though it was beautiful, it was the three waterfalls cascading into the hot spring. Different colored lights highlighted the waterfalls deep red, blue and green, half encircling the hot spring. Standing twelve feet high, they were not large waterfalls, but large enough to stand beneath and not be hurt.

"I-It's…I-I don't know what to say!"

"Say you like it."

He leaned back into Sasuke's arms more, "You did this for me?"

He nodded, "Actually I saw it when we first came here and was thinking about it as a birthday present because I know you have an appreciation for nature, but I wasn't certain if you'd like _me_ giving it to you. But then…well, everything happened and I decided it was more than appropriate now."

"I don't like it Sasuke," Naruto said and felt Sasuke stiffen before turning around in his arms and smiling, "I love it."

Sasuke breathed out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. "Dobe."

"Y-you're not thinking about…" Naruto asked, suddenly paling and moving away from Sasuke.

He frowned, "Thinking about what?"

Naruto looked away and ground his teeth, "Sex…"

"What do you think Naruto?" Sasuke said very slowly. "What did I tell you that night?"

"W-we'll take things as slowly as I wish."

He moved towards Naruto again, "And I meant it."

The blonde skittered nervously, eyes darting around them as he gnawed on his bottom lip, but once their gazes met, Naruto relaxed at the sincerity reflecting in Sasuke's eyes. "Really?" 

"Really." Sasuke whispered before kissing him lightly. Yet the mood was ruined with Naruto tripping and dragging them both down into the hot spring. Sasuke gasped in air and growled in annoyance as Naruto submerged beside him. "You have the most wonderful ways of ruining the moment baka."

"Sasuke! I can't help it that I'm clumsy." He pouted.

"Why is it you can fight without making a single mistake, but you can't even walk straight?"

Tears began to collect in his eyes, "Sasuke!"

"What? Don't try to deny it dobe, you wake up today and you immediately trip over your own feet and then I take you here and what's the first thing you do? Drag us _both_ into the spring. And on the way over here, you must've tripped twelve times!"

He sniffled, "I didn't mean to ruin everything…"

Sasuke stopped himself from continuing, he saw he had gone too far and upset Naruto, even though he was annoyed at the blonde. He wanted this to be perfect for him and the idiot ruined it, but he didn't mean to make him cry. "Come here dobe." He sighed and collected the blonde in his arms, leaning against the side of the spring. "I didn't mean that you ruined everything and I didn't mean to make you cry."

"I'm not crying!" He protested.

Sasuke smirked, "Of course not." He began to lean in to continue the kiss they started on land, but was interrupted once more by a splash in the face. He groaned and let his head drop back in disappointment.

"Sorry Sasuke, but you're gonna have to work for that!" Naruto called as he set off to the other side of the spring. He dipped under the water and reappeared seconds later just to dip down again.

Sasuke stared after him for a minute, watching his lithe form—now shirtless—disappear beneath the water with the grace of a dolphin. Snapping out of his stare, Sasuke smirked and, throwing off his shirt and sandals, began to swim towards Naruto, intent on winning his prize. He could only hope Naruto enjoyed his present as much as Sasuke had enjoyed his. He still remembered his last birthday when he had turned nineteen. Naruto had taken a lot of time setting up the Inn they were staying in and even baking a cake as Sasuke had showed him. He had somehow gotten everyone to leave in the Inn and cooked Sasuke a wonderful dinner with some help from the Inn's cook. Naruto then gave him a scrapbook of pictures he or someone else had taken at some point, though Sasuke didn't remember ever seeing a camera.

Of all the gifts Sasuke ever received, Naruto's had been the most special to him. It was something he had spent hours on, something straight from the heart and something he could cherish for all time instead of flowers, cookies, weapons, kisses and cards and fawning.

So when Naruto's birthday began approaching, Sasuke wanted something just as special and he had found the hot spring. He remembered Naruto loved everything about nature for some reason, whenever they saw an animal or a blooming tree, Naruto would stop and smile softly at it, commenting to Sasuke about it. He always spoke softly about it as well and would stand there for fifteen minutes, just admiring it, if Sasuke would let him.

After a half hour of evasion and chase, Sasuke finally caught Naruto beneath the waterfalls from behind. He wrapped his arms around his waist and smile as he whispered into his ear, "I caught you."

Naruto shivered at Sasuke's voice, husky and deep, and smiled, "Oh? And now what are you going to do?"

Sasuke kissed his ear lightly, moving to his cheek and then his neck. "Kiss you." He slowly turned Naruto around and leaned him against the wall, placing both of hands beside his head. "Finish what I started before you pulled us both into the spring." He grinned and leaned in to kiss an eager Naruto.

Sasuke and Naruto spent the entire night swimming, playing and kissing. Sasuke cornered the blonde five or six times just to kiss him while Naruto usually jumped him, giving him a quick kiss before disappearing again, which drove Sasuke up the wall. He kept muttering, "Had to fall for the most hyperactive ninja, didn't I?" every time Naruto jumped him and swam away again before Sasuke could catch him.

Four hours later and Naruto was still full of energy, though eventually he tired out enough to settle for snuggling against Sasuke instead of swimming away. Sasuke chuckled; deciding all the play and chase was well worth it since he finally had Naruto in his arms. He leaned against the side of the spring, Naruto on his lap and one arm wound around his waist while the other arm hung onto the side of the spring and Naruto had both arms wrapped around his neck for support while he rested between Sasuke's neck and shoulder quietly.

Sasuke did finally receive his prize, which was being able to kiss the blonde for a good hour before Naruto gasped and broke away to watch the sunrise. He smirked as he watched the smaller boy become entranced by the rising sun as he became captivated by the blonde before him. He couldn't look away as the sun glistened off his wet blonde hair and tan skin and capture his entire essence. Tightening his one arm around Naruto's waist and effectively pulling him closer, he leaned down and whispered, "Happy Birthday," before pulling Naruto into a breathtaking kiss.

Dhampir   
Page 10   
3/1/2005

* * *

**Note:** Ya'll deserve some fluffiness after waiting all this time for Sasuke and Naruto to get together! ^_^   
  
Don't expect it to remain easy though...


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry everyone for the late update! Gah, I always update Saturday morning, but time totally got away from me. 
> 
> On a fun note, my kids passed their 4th test and both moved up to purple belts today ^_^

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Note:** Rape, OOC and FINALLY Sasu-Naru  
 _-Kyuubi Talking-_

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Eighteen_

A month passed with Naruto learning how to control his new chakra and also testing out the jutsus he had learned from Kyuubi when they merged. Sasuke and he sparred often with Itachi giving instruction or sparring with them, though usually he just watched and observed, helping both of them when they needed it. The two Uchihas copied many of Naruto's moves and also mastered them, but Naruto's new chakra was a whole other thing. He could draw chakra from within himself and also from Kyuubi, which was expected since they were still linked, but now he could pull it from the earth. He wasn't certain how he did it, but he suddenly could feel the chakra within the ground and knew he could channel it as Kyuubi did.

"I don't know if I like having black chakra…" Naruto said one day as he threw his twentieth Rasanegan that day. "I don't know why, but it just makes me feel…not myself I guess."

Sasuke smirked, "I think you just don't like the color. Black never was your color, even if it does look great on you."

He cocked an eyebrow, "And how would you know?"

Sasuke’s smirk turned into a full lecherous grin as Naruto’s cheeks turned a lovely shade of red.

"S-so you like my black chakra?"

"I like everything about you, so that includes your chakra."

Stretching, Naruto turned away from practice and jumped into Sasuke's arms, "Everything?"

"Okay, I take it back." He said, dropping Naruto on the ground and walking away.

"Sasuske!" He whined.

"I'm not going to carry you." Sasuke called as he walked inside.

"Meanie." Naruto muttered as he followed his boyfriend into the house. A week ago they decided they were boyfriends and Naruto was certain to let everyone know who Sasuke belonged to and who he—himself—belonged to.

Itachi was waiting for them when they walked in and beckoned them to follow him into his study. "We need to talk." He said, sitting down at the table and waiting for the couple to sit across from him. "I've put this off as long as I could, but there's no way I can appease the village any longer."

Sasuke frowned, "Is this about us being together?" He asked.

"No. They couldn’t care less about that, but what they're worried about is Naruto and Kyuubi. The villagers want him gone," Itachi sighed, "and I've done everything I can to change their minds, but they'll not hear of it. They, of course, remember Kyuubi from Konoha and refuse to house Naruto and the fox here."

"I knew this would come up eventually." Naruto said, leaning back in the chair. "It never fails."

"I'm sorry Naruto." Itachi said, "But…they want you gone."

Sasuke seethed, gripping the chair arms tightly. "This is ridiculous."

"I know, but there's nothing more I can do. I was only able to hold them off this long because I said Naruto needed to be trained to handle his new chakra and stabilize it, but that is no longer an option and I'm out of excuses." Itachi sighed, "I already tried reasoning with them, telling them the fox is practically harmless and also that you two are family, but they'll not permit it. Yuki-sama said you may visit, but for no longer than two or three weeks."

Naruto donned his mask once more, giving a strained smile, "No problem, it's time we moved on anyways, right Sasuke?"

"Right." He answered, still angry.

Itachi stood, "I wish I could've done more."

"No, strife between you and the village over me isn't worth it." Naruto said, still smiling.

"It is well worth it Naruto-kun." He said, inclining his head. "You have protected Konoha with your life and also changed more than one life before you. Both Sasuke and I are indebted to you and I am certain there are people here in Hidden Spring who can say the same—my children and wife being two of them."

Naruto’s face scrunched with confusion, "Huh?"

"My boy Shu had no compassion and I believe that is my fault, compassion is not something easy for me, but you have showed him such and he's…more open. My little girl Yui believes in herself now, I do not know what you said to her two weeks ago, but whatever it was changed her entire outlook on life. Then my wife…she's more trusting of people. I know you don't know her past, but someone betrayed her deeply and left her alone with a child. Her child died even before he was a week old and it inflicted deep wounds upon her soul." Itachi smiled softly, "She's so jealous of any woman that even looks at me because she thinks I will do the same, but you've brightened her days and shown her I'm not leaving her. You succeeded where I have failed and I have no way to pay you back."

Naruto couldn't speak, he never knew what he did and said had such a large affect on those around him. He had noticed the changes in Itachi and his family, but it never occurred to him that he was the reason for that.

Sasuke interlaced his fingers with Naruto's and smiled, "I told you, you brighten everyone's life, but you didn't believe me."

He smiled, "Thank you Itachi. You don't know what that means to me."

Itachi inclined his head and then stood, "You have until the end of the week to leave and they wish you to leave as discreetly as possible. They do not want the…lesser folk to know about Kyuubi.

"We'll leave in three days." Sasuke said, watching his older brother carefully. He knew what Itachi said was true, down to how apologetic he was, but he felt like there was more to this than Itachi was saying.

Naruto kissed Sasuke quickly, slipping his tongue into his mouth for a second and then disappeared out the door, calling, "I'm gonna go inform Kyuubi!"

"Aniki, what else is there? What were you leaving out?"

Itachi smirked, "So you noticed."

"We are brothers."

"Hn." His smirk fell and he gave a low sigh, "They want Kyuubi destroyed before you leave. They don't believe it will destroy Naruto, but even if it does, they do not care as long as Kyuubi's dead."

"But that's absurd!" Sasuke exploded, "How can they not care if Naruto is killed as well? I won't allow them to kill him!"

"I've already told them that, but they kill me and my family as well to destroy Kyuubi."

"What can we do?"

"I suggest leaving immediately Sasuke, it's the safest route. I'll tell them you have agreed to comply and are planning on leaving at the end of the week. While I'm gone, get Naruto and Kyuubi and leave." Itachi commanded. "I have already told Mielin and she is in agreement with me. We'll be leaving for Konoha within the week."

"Why?"

"We cannot remain here after betraying the village like this, no matter how right it is."

"But Konoha…they'll kill you there! You are still an S-Class nin and I told Hokage-sama you were dead."

"Then I'll go under a different name."

Sasuke shook his head, "No, that won't work…" He thought for a couple minutes before finally conceding to his first thought. "Naruto and I will appease Hokage-sama and gain you and your family citizenship."

Itachi covered his surprise well, but Sasuke still caught the slight change in his brother. "You'd do that?"

"You have protected Naruto and I for the past month and allowed us to live here for almost two. Also, you said there are reasons you slaughtered our clan and though I do not know what those reasons are, I have no reason to doubt you anymore. My vengeance has been taken and I no longer see you as an enemy."

"Then I shall see you again when your 'vacation' is complete."

Sasuke smirked, "I knew you knew why we were visiting the different villages."

"There have also been rumors of a pair of shinobi who are visiting every Hidden Village they come across. When I heard the description, I knew there were only two ninjas they could be speaking of."

He extended his hand, "Then we shall leave now. Thank you, aniki, for your hospitality."

Taking his hand, Itachi smiled, "Then shall we return to the Uchiha Mansion when we arrive?"

"Yes, I'm certain Hokage-sama has a spare key." He began to leave, but paused, "We won't be there when you come and please refrain from speaking about us until we return."

"Hai."

With a last nod, Sasuke disappeared out the door to their rooms. He packed up their belongings and then walked to Naruto, who was still speaking with Kyuubi. "We're leaving now Naruto." He said, throwing his pack at him.

"What?" He gaped.

"There's been a change of plans and we have to leave now."

"B-but we haven't said goodbye to Itachi and Mielin and Yui and Shu!" He protested.

Shouldering his back, he began towards the woods, "They'll understand, but we have to leave now. I'll explain once we're far enough away, but we have to leave _now!_ " He repeated, emphasizing the point.

Naruto glanced behind him and then started after Sasuke with Kyuubi tailing him. He didn't say anything, but walked beside Sasuke in silence, contemplating on why they would suddenly leave. He kept wondering if something happened between Sasuke and Itachi, but he couldn't understand what since they were getting along so well for the past month.

Sighing, he settled for waiting until Sasuke was ready to speak, knowing he would get nothing from Sasuke before then. Naruto flexed his shoulders once and then grabbed Sasuke's hand, intertwining their fingers and smiling at his boyfriend. Sasuke tightened his hold and smiled back.

* * *

"Come on Sasuke! We've been walking for hours now and we're far away from the village! Now tell me why we suddenly left like that?"

Sasuke sighed, slowing down, and finally answered Naruto. "Because they wanted to kill you."

Naruto just stopped, "What?"

"Well, more precisely, they wanted to kill Kyuubi, but that would kill you as well. Itachi suggested we leave tonight while he told the Kage we were leaving within the week, but I wanted to leave immediately. Now we're heading for Konoha to settle things for Itachi's return."

"He's returning?" Naruto gaped.

"Yes."

"Huh."

Sasuke was surprised, "That's all you've got to say?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"You usually have a mouthful to say." Sasuke smirked, knowing he was baiting his blonde boyfriend and that Naruto would call him mean.

"Are you saying I talk a lot?" He scowled.

"A lot's an understatement."

"Sasuke!"

He smirked and began to walk away, "What is it dobe?"

"You're so mean!"

"And I'm supposed to be upset about that?"

"I'm your boyfriend!"

"That doesn't mean you're smart, dobe." Sasuke shrugged.

Naruto pouted and tried to sound upset. "B-but you're supposed to be nice to me…"

"Oh, well…I must've missed that small detail."

"Sasuke!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm so mean." Sasuke said and waited until Naruto was beside him again before pulling him close and pressing their lips together. "But I can always make up for that."

Naruto smirked, "That's true." He snapped his head to his right and threw them to the ground as a kunai grazed his arm. "What the hell?" He muttered.

Both were up in seconds, weapons ready and senses tuned. Light laughter flooded their ears and Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I didn't think you two were normal travelers."

"Who are you?" Sasuke called out.

"Oh, just a passing ninja who saw two interesting prey." The man answered and stepped out of the cover of the forest. A staff in one hand and a scythe in the other, the man came towards them smiling and stepping lightly. He was dressed in brown from head to toe and had both hands wrapped with brown bandages. "Quite interesting prey."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "And what do you want?"

"Oh nothing much, just your belongings."

"Then you're a missing nin."

"I prefer to call myself as a ninja who found a new calling."

Naruto spun a kunai around in his fingers and snorted, "You can call yourself whatever you wish to, but you're still a missing nin in the end."

"And what of you two? I see no headbands and yet there is no doubt that both of you are ninjas."

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Sasuke glanced around, "There's more than one Naruto…"

He nodded, "Hey Kyuubi! Why don't you go say hello to nice people?" He called and grinned as he felt the overwhelming chakra surround them. Seconds later, Kyuubi was before them with one of the ninjas in his mouth.

_-Well, that was easy. I'm disappointed in the Hidden Spring!_ \- He said, dropping the man from his mouth and stepping towards the missing nin. _-Maybe you'll be more of a challenge._ -

"W-what is that?" The man stuttered.

"Him? He's Kyuubi no Kitsune." Naruto grinned.

"Oh God." He whispered and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Naruto and Kyuubi began to laugh while Sasuke just shook his head and returned his weapons to their holster. "Come on!" He called as he began walking again.

"Having a large fox does come in handy." Naruto said once he caught up with Sasuke. Kyuubi disappeared into the forest again, saying he'd scout ahead for anymore disturbances, but Naruto knew he was just itching for a fight now that he had his own body to fight in.

"It does." Sasuke agreed. "So the Hidden Spring has already discovered we left… There's going to be others."

"Kyuubi will take care of them unless you want to fight…"

He shook his head, "He can fight."

"You don't think I'm…" Naruto fell silent for a few moments and then shrugged, "Never mind."

Sasuke usually would've let it pass, but he could see Naruto was distressed over whatever he was going to say. "No, what is it?"

"You'll think I'm stupid…It's nothing Sasuke." He gave a weak smile.

He stopped and grabbed Naruto's arm to stop him as well, "This is obviously upsetting you, so tell me."

Naruto looked down and bit his lip, "Do you think I'm a freak?" He whispered. "I've got a huge fox trailing me now, my chakra's black and my whiskers have turned darker and even my canines have sharpened! I have all this knowledge about forbidden jutsus that I shouldn't have and I can draw chakra from the _ground._ "

"You're not a freak." Sasuke said, taking the blonde into his arms. "Never think that."

He sniffed and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's shoulders, "Thank you."

Sasuke smirked, "Come on dobe, we need to reach Konoha by nightfall."

"So you are planning on teleportation."

"Of course, but we need to get far enough away first."

"Right." Naruto grinned and wagged his eyebrows. "Race you!" With a burst of speed he was down the road.

"I should've seen that coming." He whispered and shouldering his bag, he set off after his blonde boyfriend.

* * *

Half an hour later, Sasuke decided they were far enough away and Kyuubi appeared out of nowhere ready to go. Teleportation was a simple thing, it just needed a lot of chakra and all three of them had that. They just had to think about where they wanted to appear in Konoha and appear there—though wards around Konoha stopped people from teleporting _into_ or _out_ of the city. Once inside, they could teleport anywhere they wanted to except inside Tsunade's office and room. So, deciding on the gates of Konoha, they appeared together while Kyuubi disappeared into the woods before anyone could really see what he was.

The two guards started at the arrival of two ninjas before them and immediately had their weapons drawn. Sasuke threw them the tablet from Tsunade and waited patiently as the two ninjas read it. "Uchiha Sasuke." The one nodded, throwing the tablet back. He then looked at Naruto and sneered, "Uzumaki."

Naruto just smiled brightly, "Nice to see you too!"

"We need to see Hokage-sama." Sasuke growled, trying to keep his anger suppressed and moving just an inch closer to Naruto. He knew his boyfriend could protect himself, but he still felt protective of him. "Now."

"Of course, but if you could just tell us the problem…" One suggested.

"This is just for the Hokage, past that I cannot say."

"But of course, you can tell us." The one persisted.

"As Anbu, we are allowed to contact Hokage-sama when we see fit and there is something urgent we must discuss with her. Now if you refuse to move in the next five seconds, I will force you to." Sasuke threatened, already powering Chidori in one hand.

"A-ah…You may go!" The other guard said and dragged the other away.

Chidori dispersed and Sasuke glared at the two as he dragged Naruto through the gates and then atop the roofs. He glanced at Naruto, "Best if less people know we came here."

"Right." He agreed and together they set off towards Tsunade. Slipping through the window, the two waited in the shadows until Tsunade opened the door. She knew immediately someone was in her room and scanned the room, settling on the two dark shapes in the corner.

"Can I help you?" She asked neutrally.

"Aw, is that any way to greet us after a year Tsunade-baba?" Naruto asked, stepping out of the dark with a grin on his face.

"Naruto?" She gaped, staring at the eighteen year old man before her. Yet she could already see something different about him, his chakra wasn't completely similar to what it was a year ago. "And Sasuke?"

Sasuke moved next to Naruto, bowing to Tsunade before speaking, "We're here on some personal business Hokage-sama."

"Well, it isn't completely personal, but to us it is." Naruto commented.

Tsunade still hadn't moved from her previous spot next to the door, but once she came out of her daze, she rushed to give Naruto a tight hug and smile fondly at Sasuke. "I can't believe you two are back! I was starting to worry when no more messages came."

Naruto pushed away from the busty blonde and scratched the back of his head, "Sorry about that. Some…things have changed since last year and they caused everything else to stop."

"Like what?" She asked, scowling at him.

"Merging with Kyuubi." He shrugged.

"B-but that's impossible."

"Actually…Kyuubi is free in a sense."

"What do you mean _free_?" She screamed, slamming her hands down on her desk.

Naruto sat down in a chair as Tsunade gaped at him and tilted his head, "I mean free. We're still bonded in a way, but he's got his own body and will."

"We have to alert the city immediately." She said, getting ready to dash out the door, but Sasuke stopped her.

"Kyuubi's not going to do anything. The whole war between him and Konoha was started because someone offended him." Sasuke explained, remembering Naruto telling him about it one day. "He's not going to harm anyone and if you kill Kyuubi, you kill Naruto. Their fates are still intertwined."

"But…"

"If you want, you can meet him." Naruto suggested. "It's been this way since my birthday and Kyuubi has done nothing except watch. He understands humans better now and he doesn't take offense _as_ easily so just give him a break. Anyways, that's not what we're really here for."

"There's something bigger than that?" Tsunade asked, uncertain of what could be greater than knowing Kyuubi was free again.

"Hai, Itachi's returning to Konoha." Sasuke stated blandly, picking a piece of leaf off his clothes.

Tsunade gaped again, "Itachi's still alive?"

"Hai. He's been living in Hidden Spring with his wife and children."

"He's married?"

"Hai." Sasuke ground his teeth, getting annoyed at the stupid questions.

"You want me to pardon him, don't you?"

"Hai. At the time Itachi was mentally unstable and now living with him for the past two months, he is once more sane. He has murdered our clan, but my vengeance has been taken and he's been living peacefully for the past three years with a new life. He's not the same Itachi he was before."

"Why is he returning to Konoha?"

"Because he just betrayed his village for me." Naruto said mournfully, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes. "He was protecting Sasuke and me for the past month, but the village wanted to destroy Kyuubi and therefore me. Itachi gave us time to escape by telling us what was going to happen and telling them that we were going to leave at the end of the week. He knew it would cause problems for him and his family, but he still did it."

"They'll be arriving here within the week." Sasuke added.

"He's no longer part of the Akatsuki?"

"No. And he's a good shinobi, very skilled."

She sighed, "He's changed that much?"

"Hai."

"I'll examine him and from there I will decide if he should be pardoned or not."

"Can you also say someone else was responsible for the massacre of the Uchiha clan?" Sasuke asked. "I don't want him and his family treated as Naruto has been for all these years."

She nodded, "I'll come up with something."

Naruto stood, "Well then, we'll be off again."

"What?"

"We've still got over a hundred villages to visit." Naruto grinned. "And there are a couple things I want to do before I come back here…" He glanced at Sasuke and saw him smirk.

"I thought you'd be returning after a year…"

Naruto looked away, "I can't…not yet. Once my nightmares disappear I'll come back, okay?"

"Then you knew why we were giving you this mission?"

He grinned, "I'm not really that dumb, am I?"

Sasuke shook his head, "Come on dobe, we have to go before someone sees us."

"I want to see Kyuubi first." Tsunade said.

"Of course."

* * *

"Kyuubi!" Naruto called into the forest where Sasuke, Tsunade and he were standing. "Come out here you stupid fox."

_-Like I'm gonna come out after that statement._ \- He muttered, but stepped out anyways. He tilted his head towards Tsunade and then bowed, _-Hokage.-_

For the third time in the past 20 minutes, her mouth fell open; she hadn't expected such manners from a fox. "Kyuubi no Kitsune."

Sharp white fangs glinted in the moonlight, - _Correct.-_

"So what Naruto said was true, you are free again."

_-I see where this is going and you don't have to worry Hokage, as long as no one harms the kittling then I'll refrain from attacking Konoha again.-_

"The kittling?"

Naruto shook his head, "That would be me."

"Kittling?" She smirked.

"Oh, just leave me alone." He pouted.

"Hokage-sa…ma…" Someone called from behind them and all four turned to the new intruder.

She breathed when she saw Iruka standing before her, but immediately turned back to the fox watching the newcomer warily. "Iruka, what is it?"

"Who's that?" He asked in a hushed voice.

"Ah…that's…"

_-Kitsune._ \- Kyuubi suddenly said, - _Kyuubi was my brother.-_

"Hokage-sama, w-what does it want?" He asked.

_-Nothing at all, just making myself known.-_ He answered.

Naruto and Sasuke had disappeared behind the fox, not really certain if they should make themselves known or not to their old teacher. If they did, Naruto wouldn't be leaving for another week and he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"What did you need Iruka?"

"Oh! News has reached here that Uchiha Itachi is alive and has been spotted two days away from the city with a woman and two children." He reported, forgetting the fox for a moment.

"Let him come, he's coming here in peace. The woman and children are his and he’s been proven innocent of any crimes against the Uchiha clan."

"But what about Sasuke?"

"He's the one who brought the news of Itachi."

"Then you've seen them?" Iruka asked, his face brightening and completely forgetting about the fox practically standing on top of him.

"Hai Iruka, I have seen them and much has happened, Itachi being one of them."

"What else has happened?"

"There's no time for that, right now we have to greet our guests." She said and turning back to Kyuubi, bowed. "Thank you for protecting Naruto and Sasuke Kitsune, I appreciate it."

- _The kittling means more to me than my own life.-_ He said gravely.

"Until then." She said and disappeared along with Iruka.

Sasuke pulled away from Naruto and frowned, "Something must've happened if they're already two days away from the village."

"Tsunade-baba will take care of it." Naruto said, closing his eyes as he leaned against him, feeling mentally exhausted.

He smirked, "Then we better get moving."

Naruto pouted and released Sasuke, but nodded, "Best get away while no one's watching."

Seeing his crestfallen expression, Sasuke wound an arm around Naruto's waist and bent close, "And we can be alone again." He whispered, giving him a brief kiss before letting go and walking away.

Naruto gaped after him and then stomped, "Sasuke!" He yelled as the three of them disappeared into the woods.

Dhampir  
Page 10   
3/3/2005

* * *


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost at 100 comments and 200 kudos! Thank you all ^_^

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Note:** Rape, OOC and Sasu-Naru

_-Kyuubi Talking-_

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Nineteen_

Tsunade sighed; it had been two years since she had seen the hyperactive blonde and stoic raven. She knew Iruka worried every day about them and was constantly asking her if she had any news from them or when they were coming back. Yet she didn't know when they were coming back or even if they were okay because she only received reports about the villages and nothing about them.

Sighing again, she turned away from the window and back to her paperwork, she now had an accurate account of every village in a three hundred mile radius from Konoha and which to watch because of the two of them, but it had taken so many years and they still weren't back.

Itachi stepped into the room, "Hokage-sama." He spoke softly and handed her a scroll. She smiled lightly at her Anbu Captain and took the scroll, seeing immediately it was from Sasuke. Itachi had been living in Konoha peacefully for two years now and no one really minded him or his family. It was quite the opposite actually, she had come up with a tale about how Itachi had been framed for the murder of his entire clan and had been pardoned by both her and Sasuke and the villagers had immediately opened up to them. Since then they had taken residence at the Uchiha Mansion and both of his children were now enrolled in the Academy while his wife was a teacher there and a very skilled chunin who also worked as a relief guard from time to time.

She unraveled the scroll and scanned the new village Sasuke and Naruto had found: Hidden Flower. Tsunade cocked an eyebrow at the name, but kept reading. Apparently they were a village that practiced healing with herbs and chakra and they were also quite powerful, but no threat. They didn't agree with war and that was one reason they didn't partake in the exams. They had their own exams they performed for their ninjas and were open to any seeking healing.

Handing the scroll the Itachi, he read over it and nodded. "When do you think they will be returning, Hokage-sama?"

She sighed, feeling a sudden urge to drink. "I wish I knew."

"I will give this to the secretary." Itachi said, bowing before slipping out the door.

"I wish I knew…" She repeated as she turned back to the paperwork demanding her attention.

* * *

Naruto pulled Sasuke along, wanting to return to Konoha as soon as possible, while Sasuke wanted to stay away as long as possible. He enjoyed having Naruto to himself and no one caring, but Naruto said he missed everyone. He had finally come to terms with his nightmares and was able to deal with them so he was ready to face the village now.

Kyuubi lurked in the woods, following them silently and watching for any ninjas who may want to harm them. Their last report about the Hidden Flower should have arrived a couple days ago and they were still a few hours from Konoha. The shinobi of the Hidden Flower had been expecting their arrival for a couple months, word of them had reached far into the Earth Country and so they had set up sentries to watch for them. When they arrived, they were greeted without hostility and immediately taken to their Kage where she explained what they did in their village. Sasuke and Naruto both saw no threat with the village and even commended them for their skill in healing jutsus. Kyuubi felt no threat and detected no lies as he walked through the village with ease and even enjoyed himself while they were there. If any of them had to take refuge at a village, it would be the Hidden Flower. The people there didn't care about Naruto's connection with Kyuubi and they were kind, helping anyone who needed help.

"Come on Sasuke!" He whined.

Sasuke sighed, "Why do you want go back so much? Can't we just enjoy the last few hours of our vacation before we're rushed into society once more?"

"But I wanna see everyone! There's Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei, Ero-Senin, Tsunade-baba, Sakura-chan, Shikamaru, Ino-chan, Shino, Kiba, Hinata…" He said, counting them off on his fingers, and the list kept going much to Sasuke's annoyance.

"Dobe." He muttered, which shut Naruto up for about three seconds before he began to complain about how mean he was.

In the last two years, Naruto and Sasuke traveled with Kyuubi to each village around them, mapping it out and giving detailed reports as they had before. Their relationship never went passed holding hands, kisses and sleeping together at night, but Sasuke never really minded. He had told Naruto he would wait as long as it took and never once complained when Naruto suddenly pulled away or left in the middle of night. Instead, he just spoke softly and assured Naruto that he wouldn't do anything he didn't want to and he'd never hurt him. Some nights the blonde would sleep pressed against him as close as humanly possible and other nights Naruto would sleep on the very edge of the bed so to put as much distance between them as feasible while still ‘sleeping together’.

There were some days when it was hard on him, especially days where they were almost _there,_ almost to the next level and Naruto would suddenly cry out in fear. But Sasuke never told him that because he knew his boyfriend would go through with it even if he didn't want to if it would make him happy and he didn't want that. He wanted Naruto to be comfortable with it and want it like Sasuke did, even if it was just something as small as being shirtless. Yet for the most part, Sasuke was content with their relationship and it never crossed his mind once that he wanted someone else, though sometimes Naruto would ask that.

They were still an hour's walk from Konoha, but Naruto stopped. "Sasuke…is there gonna be…I mean, what's gonna happen to us?"

Sasuke frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Well…I-I mean when we go back to Konoha, what's going to happen between us?" He looked away, blinking back unushered tears. They had been traveling around together without any problems, but once they were back in Konoha, everything would change. The villagers hated him and he knew they'd never allow Sasuke to be with him. He knew Sasuke would end up hating him too, that much hate directed at one person spread easily and Sasuke would be taken in. He didn't want that, he didn't want Sasuke to leave him or to hate him like everyone else did.

Sasuke sighed, seeing the look of dread in Naruto's eyes and knowing what was going through his head. He wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist and picked him up, making Naruto wrap his legs around his hips. He then leaned him against a tree, making certain his blonde dobe couldn't get away and had to listen to him. "Nothing is going to change between us Naruto, as I've told you time and time again." He whispered. "I love you. I love _you_ , not the Kyuubi—"

_-Hey!-_ Kyuubi shouted, his lanky body appearing between the trees briefly as he glared.

Sasuke chuckled, "Okay, I love Kyuubi, but not like I love you, Naruto. I don't care if the villagers hate me as well because I'm not leaving you."

Naruto bit his lip, trying to keep doubt out of his eyes and failing. "But you don't understand how horrible it can be…"

"I've been your boyfriend for two years now Naruto and never have I asked anything of you except for you to trust me. I won't leave you just because the villagers think you're some demon because _I_ know you're not and that's all that matters."

Naruto finally smiled and hugged himself close to Sasuke, taking in his scent and just listening to his heartbeat. "I love you Sasuke."

"And I love you." He whispered, kissing the top of Naruto's head. He felt Naruto relaxing against him and knew his boyfriend was falling asleep. Naruto had been stressing over this for at least a week and was worn out from the lack of sleep. "Go to sleep, I'll wake you up when we arrive."

"But…" He started, though his protest was very weak.

"Hush, you sleep."

"K." He muttered and squirmed until his arms were wrapped around Sasuke's neck and his head was comfortably fit between his arm and Sasuke's neck. "Love you."

Sasuke smirked and began walking again. Groaning, he shifted Naruto slightly, seeing how hard their current position was going to be walking, but he didn't want to wake Naruto so he dealt with it. Almost every chance he got, Naruto told him he loved him and showed it with how he watched Sasuke or held his hand or kissed him. Sasuke knew Naruto was always thinking he was going to leave him for someone else, someone who was better than him or could be more intimate, but he never could think of someone better than Naruto.

* * *

"Naruto, wake up." Sasuke whispered into his ear and waited, but Naruto didn't move. "Love, I said wake up, we're here." This time he blew into his ear, knowing that would wake him immediately.

"Sasuke!" He cried out and grabbed his ear, scowling at him. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because you wouldn't wake up, dobe." He said and set the blonde on his feet.

"Oh." He blushed and then rubbed his eyes, leaning on Sasuke until he was fully awake. Naruto awoke better in the mornings than Sasuke, he was _not_ a morning person, and anyone who got in his way in the morning was usually in for a fight or at least having a kunai at their throat. Naruto was the only person given the privilege of being near him in the morning and that was only because he could dodge Sasuke's attacks and calm him down when he got angry.

"Awake yet? The gate's just ahead." Sasuke said, rubbing one shoulder soothingly while he leaned down to kiss him on the cheek.

Naruto turned so their lips would meet and then grinned, "I'm awake now."

"Good, then you wouldn't mind giving me a repeat of that?" He asked, leaning down for another kiss. Naruto moaned into the kiss and let Sasuke explore his mouth as he was held captive by the feeling within him. His eyes fluttered closed and he clutched Sasuke's shirt so he could pull him closer. "Love you." Sasuke whispered when they parted and ran a hand through Naruto's hair. "Always." He said with such finality Naruto could only smile and lean into him.

He was about to say something when he saw the gates of Konoha and grinned. He grabbed Sasuke's hand and dragged him towards it. "Hi!" He yelled as loud as possible and Sasuke groaned. Naruto was hyper again and that meant no downtime for him. The two guards looked at them curiously and then hesitantly waved back. Naruto suddenly stopped and turned around, smiling at Sasuke. "I love you too." He whispered affectionately before smirking and pulling him back along the road towards the gates.

Both were wearing their hitai-ates this time and when they approached, Naruto was happy to see the guards didn’t immediately scowl at him. "We're finally here again!" He laughed and swung Sasuke around, much to his annoyance.

He jerked away and glared at Naruto, but his boyfriend knew half of it was just play. Sasuke never could stay mad at him for long and over something like being spun around—something he _never_ did—he wouldn't be very mad. He looked at the two guards and handed over his papers. "We're supposed to see Hokage-sama immediately."

"Hai Uchiha-san." The one guard said, her black hair short and held back by a headband, and smiled at Naruto, "Uzumaki-san! It's been a while!"

Naruto cocked his head, he wasn't expecting such a greeting. "Mielin?" He asked hesitantly. He thought the woman looked familiar, but it had been two years and they never did know what had happened to Itachi and his family.

"Hai! I'm glad you two have returned, Itachi will be glad to hear it."

"So everything worked out?" Sasuke asked, keeping his emotions heavily guarded.

"Yes and we're living at the Uchiha Mansion; I hope you don't mind…"

He shook his head, "Not at all."

"Well, go right ahead, I'm certain Hokage-sama is expecting you."

Naruto grinned and said goodbye as he followed Sasuke through the village. So close to dusk, no one really noticed the two shinobi until they reached Tsunade's office. The two Anbu posted out front of her door, stopped them, but immediately let them through once they recognized them.

Naruto opened the doors and found Tsunade asleep at her desk—like usual. He sighed and grinned evilly at Sasuke, which made Sasuke move somewhere far away from his boyfriend. Naruto crept up behind Tsunade and then rocked her chair backwards, yelling, "Tsunade-baba, we're back!"

"What the hell?" She screamed and then jumped up, smacking Naruto over the head hard. "Naruto!"

"Ow! You didn't have to hit me that hard!" He protested, nursing his throbbing head.

"Well then you shouldn't have…" she stopped, staring at him before gathering him into a tight hug. “You're back! Oh, it's been so long!"

"Tsunade-baba! You're suffocating me!"

She released him and looked around the room, "Where's Sasuke? Did something happen to him?"

"Oh he's here." Naruto glowered. "He just wanted to be out of the way so you wouldn't hurt him too."

"Smart."

"Hey!" He harrumphed and crossed the room to stand beside Sasuke, who wrapped his arms around Naruto without hesitance. "You could've protected me you know."

"And risk being beaten as well?" He asked, "No, I think not."

Tsunade stared at them, "You two are…" she made a couple hand movements before shaking her head and sitting down at her desk again.

"We're together." Sasuke grinned, kissing Naruto’s cheek.

"Sasuke! We're in front of Tsunade-baba!" He whined.

"So? Why shouldn't I be allowed to kiss my dobe boyfriend wherever I want?"

"Keep talking like that and you'll never kiss him anywhere again." Naruto groused.

"You really think you could stay away?"

"Oh, and you could?"

"Hm…" He smirked.

"Sasuke!"

"Okay, okay, no, I couldn't stay away." He whispered, kissing Naruto lightly.

"Really?" He asked.

"Really."

Tsunade just shook her head and then commanded them to sit. "Now, tell me everything."

The next two hours were spent going over the villages they visited, Naruto's merging with Kyuubi and any other changes they had faced—mostly the increased knowledge Naruto had of jutsus and how he could draw chakra from the earth. Sasuke told her about how they found Itachi and the days leading up to their last merging since Naruto was usually unconscious or too tired to notice anything. The last subject they spoke of was how Naruto was adapting to people and touch. She then dismissed them for the day, giving them a week off—like they really needed it—and informed the Anbu they had two new members so to speak.

* * *

Naruto crossed his arms and waited for Sasuke to catch up again. "Come on Sasuke! Don't you want to see everyone?"

"No, I don't." He scowled, it was almost ten at night. "What I want to see is my bed and you in it."

He blushed, "Sasuke!"

"Well, it's true."

"You just like making me blush."

He smirked, "That too."

"Sasuke!" He pouted.

He reached out and brushed his whisker marks lightly, "But I like it when you blush." Which in turn made him blush more, much to Sasuke's delight.

" _Sasuke?_ " Someone asked and he turned around while Naruto looked over his shoulder at Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, Lee, Neji, Hinata and Shino.

Naruto immediately jumped up and started greeting them while Sasuke just watched from behind. "Sakura-chan! How have you been? Wow…it's been three years now hasn't it?" He asked, immediately moving onto the next person. "Lee, you cut your hair! And you're wearing normal clothes! Are you and Sakura going out now?" He asked when he saw their hands intertwined, "Cool! And Ino-chan! Wow! Your hair got really long and Shikamaru you…look the same." His attention immediately switched to Hinata and he grinned, "How have you been Hinata? You're looking really good! And what about Kiba?" He was about to move onto Neji when Sasuke cut in.

"Dobe, give them a chance to respond." He muttered.

"Sasuke!" He whined, immediately pouting.

Everyone just stared at them, Sasuke had grown more angelic looking with his pale skin and dark locks while Naruto had grown _gorgeous_. Almost no one could believe it, but it was true, he was tan, muscular and charming, he had changed a lot from what everyone remembered him as.

Naruto cocked his head when he saw everyone ogling him, "What?"

"You're…" Sakura began.

"…hot." Ino finished.

"Huh?" He frowned, "Well, I guess it is kinda warm out and I am slightly hot, but—"

"Baka, they mean you're good looking." Sasuke muttered.

Now he just stared.

Sasuke groaned and shook his head, "Don't even try, he may look smarter, but he's still a dobe."

"Sasuke!" Naruto whined again.

That broke the tension between them and they all began talking at once, except for Sasuke who just watched them. Naruto glanced behind him at Sasuke and bit his lip, "Sasuke?"

He smiled, "Don't worry, I'm fine."

"But you're being distant." He said, not wanting to admit he wanted Sasuke next to him. Though he was better around people, it was different here. This was Konoha where people hated him and people knew who and what he was.

"Hey Naruto! Find anyone while out on your mission?" Ino asked, waggling her eyebrows so they understood her intent.

"A-actually…" He began.

"He did." Sasuke suddenly said, wrapping his arms around Naruto from behind, successfully turning Naruto red with embarrassment.

Everyone fell silent and just stared again and Naruto began to tremble beneath their shocked gazes. He wasn't sure what they were thinking, but everyone staring at him was causing fear to creep in. "Sasuke."

His grip around the blonde tightened and Sasuke glared, "Anyone have a problem with that?" He asked, his voice cold and demanding.

Suddenly Kyuubi appeared. _-What's wrong? I could feel the kit becoming afraid. Who hurt him?-_ He glared menacingly at the seven shinobi before him and growled softly.

"N-no! They're fine, I'm just a little overwhelmed." Naruto protested.

Shikamaru frowned, staring up at the large fox. "Is that…Kyuubi?"

"Kyuubi!" Sakura gasped, clutching onto Lee.

"I-in a way…" Naruto whispered.

_-I'm no threat…yet.-_ Kyuubi answered.

"Kyuubi! You're not helping here!" He growled, his fear forgotten. "I told you to remain outside the walls, what if someone recognizes you?"

_-So what? They'll recognize me, but I won't stand by again while people r—_ -

" _Kyuubi_." Sasuke warned, stopping the fox shut up immediately. "I think we best go home." He said, glaring once more at the seven shinobi before taking Naruto in his arms and heading towards his house.

"Wait!" Sakura called after them. "We don't have a problem with you two being together or anything, it just took us surprise."

Naruto smiled, "I'm glad."

Sasuke nodded and then teleported them to his house while Kyuubi disappeared into the woods again.

"This is too troublesome." Shikamaru whispered as they all turned away to their own homes. Yet he stopped after everyone disappeared, he had to speak with Sasuke and Naruto now, he needed to know what had changed to cause Kyuubi to appear again. The stories and pictures depicted Kyuubi as a red fox and yet the fox he had seen had been black.

Teleporting to the Uchiha Mansion, he knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer, though he wasn't expecting an irate Itachi yanking open the door, "What?" He growled.

"You two are definitely brothers." He muttered, "I'm here to see Sasuke and Naruto."

"Well it can wait, they just went to sleep."

"I'm afraid this cannot wait." Shikamaru persisted.

Itachi continued to glare at him, but stepped aside to let him in. "You can wait in the living room; I'll speak with my brother." He then disappeared upstairs and left Shikamaru staring around the house.

Seconds later an even more irate Sasuke appeared with a half asleep Naruto in step. "What the hell do you want?" He growled.

_Yup, they're brothers._ "I wish this could wait until later, but I need to know what happened to Naruto while you two were gone and why the Kyuubi is free."

Naruto yawned and said, "We merged. I came up with a jutsu that would give Kyuubi his own body because if I didn't then we'd both be dead. The immense chakra he was giving me control over was too much for my human body to handle so before our merging was complete, I gave him a body. That's why he's black instead of red and has the same blue eyes as I do."

"But that should've been impossible. The seal was to keep Kyuubi sealed within you, not to merge with you."

"Well not all things go according to plan and we're still bonded, just not as close. He can do whatever he wishes now, but he's not a threat to Konoha if that's what you're worried about. The only reason he attacked Konoha in the first place was because some stupid ninja offended him and he has no reason to attack anymore. He's promised me he wouldn't hurt anyone from the Hidden Leaf as long as they didn't hurt me and baa-chan already knows all this."

Sasuke cut in, "How is it you know about Kyuubi and Naruto?"

"It's too troublesome to explain." He shrugged, "We all know though."

Naruto clutched at Sasuke, paling slightly. "A-all?"

"Hai. We've known for two years now."

"Why?" Sasuke demanded, wrapping an arm around Naruto’s shoulders.

"A slip of the tongue." Shikamaru sighed. "Someone mentioned the 'Kyuubi holder' and then mentioned you traveling with him, Sasuke. It wasn't that hard to figure out after that."

Naruto was shaking, his breathing faster as he stared wide eyed at the Nara heir. What would they think now that they knew what he was? "And you're fine with this?" Sasuke asked carefully.

"We were shocked, but…" he shrugged, "we got over it.” Shikamaru shook his head, returning to the subject at hand. "But if Kyuubi is free then the Yondaime's jutsu is broken…"

"No, the Yondaime's not coming back." Naruto said, seeing what the genius shinobi was thinking. "During our merging I saw how he created the jutsu and I know all about the deal with Death he had made, but the seal is still somewhat in place."

"Don't be so certain Naruto." He said, standing up. "I'll have to speak with a couple people and Hokage-sama, but I think the deal was broken when the two of you merged. If so…I don't know yet."

"There is something else you should know…" Naruto said hesitantly, taking a shuddering breath and forcing his fear down. "My chakra has changed."

Shikamaru frowned, "How so?"

"Well for one thing, it's black, but because it mixed with Kyuubi's chakra which is of a different origin, I can draw chakra from the earth."

"Then you have an unlimited source of chakra."

"No. Every time I take chakra from the earth, I take life away from the trees and animals that also draw chakra from the earth."   
  


"What about Kyuubi?"

Naruto shook his head, "Kyuubi is a creature of pure chakra, self-sustaining like I am, and so he's not connected to the earth, though he can also draw chakra from it."

"This is too troublesome for the night." He muttered.

He smiled, "Tell me about it."

"We'll have Neji or Hinata look at your chakra system in a couple days. That's all."

Sasuke huffed, "You kept us from our beds for _that_?"

"I had to be certain Kyuubi wasn't a threat to Konoha before anything else." He bowed, "Thank you and I'll excuse myself."

"Wait!" Naruto called, "Kyuubi goes by Kitsune, Kyuubi's brother, here."

"I'll keep that in mind."

When the door closed, Sasuke gathered Naruto into his arms, "So how was that for a first night?"

He sagged, "Tiresome."

"You did well." Sasuke whispered, kissing him lightly.

"You could've done better. What was up with the cold bastard attitude?"

He smirked, "I might've gotten jealous…"

"You? Jealous?" Naruto grinned, wrapping his arms around his neck. "Why on earth would the stoic Uchiha be jealous?"

"Oh I don't know…maybe because the girls just noticed how hot you are and I don't want anyone making a move on you except me."

"Ooh! Possessive bastard, aren't you?"

"Only of you." He whispered, biting Naruto's lip lightly to gain entrance, which Naruto gave easily. Sasuke leaned closer, taking in everything Naruto offered to him and let his hands travel down his back to his waist. He knew where to stop; Naruto always tensed when his hands slipped any lower and would pull away in fright. He would always apologize to him, but Sasuke wouldn't be allowed to touch him for the rest of the day without Naruto beginning to hyperventilate.

He pulled away and smirked at Naruto who was flushed with desire and helped his blonde boyfriend up to their room. "Come on, let's go to bed."

Dhampir  
Page 9   
3/13/2005

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Veteran's Day!
> 
> I wanted to make sure I got this out first thing since I messed up the last update and almost didn't make Saturday. 
> 
> But yay! They're BACK~ hehehehe!


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close to the end people! 6 more chapters ^_^
> 
> And woo hoo! We made it to 100 comments and 200 kudos, thank you ^_^

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Note:** Rape, OOC and Sasu-Naru

_-Kyuubi Talking-_

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Twenty_

Naruto awoke first and turned around in his boyfriend's arms. He smiled at Sasuke's sleeping form, reaching up to brush a lock of black hair from his face. He saw the smile appear on Sasuke's face and knew the pale shinobi was at least partially awake now. He moved closer, wrapping both arms around Sasuke’s form and kissed him lightly before returning for a more passionate kiss.

Sasuke was fully awake in milliseconds, feeling his love's mouth on his always woke him up and he immediately took control, rolling Naruto onto his back and bending down to continue the kiss. With both knees planted beside Naruto's hips and his hands trapping Naruto's above his head, he continued to plunder his mouth. He pulled back once he was certain Naruto was left breathless and grinned. "I like waking up like this."

"Yeah…" He breathed, his eyes half closed and Sasuke bent down to lick his neck where it drove Naruto crazy. His own weakness was located just behind his ears and his hyperactive dobe knew that and exploited it every chance he got. Naruto gave a throaty moan and clutched Sasuke's hands tightly. "Sasuke…"

"Yes?" He asked, kissing his pink lips again and swiping his tongue against them.

Naruto moved his head back to answer, "I…"

Sasuke lowered his body so he was almost lying on top of him, releasing Naruto's hands, and cheered inside when Naruto didn't panic and push him away. This was the closest he had ever gotten without him tensing up and it was a small victory. "Tell me love." He murmured, once more attacking the skin at the apex of his neck and collar bone.

"I-I wa-want…" He stuttered and, grabbing Sasuke's night shirt, brought him closer so Sasuke’s entire body was covering his own.

Sasuke smiled, kissing his mouth again, "You want what?"

He moaned again and tried to control the desire flowing through him, but his need for Sasuke kept mounting and he found himself panting beneath him. His shaft began lengthening as arousal coiled in his abdomen. "I…I want…I w—"

"Uncle Sasuke!" Shu yelled from outside and immediately his nephew ran inside, completely ruining everything he worked for. Itachi appeared seconds later and groaned when he saw the position the two of them were in and Sasuke's darkening expression.

"Shu! What have I told you about running into people's rooms? You _have_ to knock _first_." Itachi scolded the young child and chased him out of the room. He grinned at Sasuke and Naruto, "I haven't seen you in two years and you're still making out every chance you get."

Naruto turned red and Sasuke glared, but neither of them moved as Itachi closed the door. He felt Naruto tense beneath him and sighed, letting his head drop to the blonde’s chest. "I love you." He whispered before moving off of him, knowing Naruto would practically be inaccessible after this bout. He stood up and began to dress, turning his back to Naruto so he couldn't see his disappointment.

Yet he was taken by surprise when Naruto hugged him from behind, leaning his head on his back. "Please be patient, I know it's hard on you, but...but I'm really trying."

Sasuke sighed and turned around, wrapping his almost lover in his arms. "I'll be as patient as I must and you're getting better." He said, dropping a kiss on his lips before nuzzling his neck. "Don't worry, there'll be years for us to make up for these years and I've told you over and over we don't have to move quickly."

"I'm sorry Sasuke."

"Don't be. Even if we never move beyond kisses and hugs, I will still love you." He said, holding Naruto even closer and rocking him slowly.

He sniffled, "I want to, I really want to b-but it's so hard!"

"Hush, don't say anything else. I understand and I'm willing to wait eternally."

They remained like that for another five minutes before moving apart and dressing silently. Naruto smiled shyly at Sasuke before disappearing downstairs to greet everyone and the day. Sasuke was quite ready to kill Itachi and Shu for interrupting and made certain at least Itachi knew how angry he was. The day hadn't even begun and he already knew it was going to be foul. His mood darkened the entire house and everyone found themselves walking on needles around Sasuke, Shu and Yui completely avoiding him. They knew how their father was and knew the signs of danger well before it came. Mielin and Itachi were the only ones able to deal with his foul mood—mostly because Itachi was the same way and Mielin was used to it, but even Naruto avoided him, which just angered Sasuke even more.

When they finally did leave the house to explore how much Konoha had changed in the past three years, they both walked some distance from each other and refused to look at each other. Naruto out of guilt and fear and Sasuke out of anger and irritation.

"Hey Naruto, Sasuke!" Sakura called from behind them, leading with her the Rookie Nine.

Naruto smiled weakly, "Hi."

Sasuke just scowled darkly and turned away, muttering something about idiots and his brother. Naruto was the only one surprised by his remarks since everyone else just thought that's how he usually acted, but Naruto saw the change in his boyfriend. He bit his lip and sighed, knowing Sasuke's foul mood was because of him and his insecurity and he was so close today, but then Shu came in and Naruto lost his nerve.

The group dragged them around Konoha showing them the improvements and everything that had changed since they had been gone and how everyone had grown up. Naruto greeted quite a few people while Sasuke just brooded behind the blonde and glared at anyone who even dared looked at Naruto the wrong way—or for that matter the right way. He didn't want anyone to even think about dating _his_ Naruto.

Watching his blonde baka, Sasuke couldn't stop the small smirk from appearing on his lips. Though they had been together for two years and still hadn't gone farther than kissing and a few more heated touches that remained above the waist, Naruto had come a long way. The beginning of their relationship was hard on both of them, Naruto was too scared to stay near him for long and Sasuke was stressed by his boyfriend's stress. Naruto could only kiss him for a couple seconds before pulling away and Sasuke couldn't even touch his arm without him crying out and breaking away.

Six months later and it only improved some, Naruto could kiss him without many problems, but touching was still off limits except for hugging. Unless Naruto was taken off guard by something spectacular, like his birthday present, touching was taboo and so was continuous kissing.

Two years later and Naruto had just begun to regularly sleep with Sasuke and not wake up in panics. He had begun being able to touch the blonde’s upper body only a few months ago. He began letting Sasuke pin him when they kissed and this morning had been a huge leap in their relationship. Never before had Naruto let him get that close to him or instigate it as he had that morning.

Yet he was still pissed about losing everything he had worked for because of his nephew, no matter how cute he was. Itachi had apologized that morning and told them they would never be interrupted like that again, but it was still ruined and Sasuke wondered how long it would take for Naruto to trust him like that again.

Sasuke glanced over at Naruto who was chatting with Sakura and Kiba happily just like he used to and felt his mood become even fouler. He hated it that his boyfriend could be so carefree with people he hadn't seen in years and yet around him, he was so scared. _Maybe it's me..._ He bit his tongue lightly and the licked his lips, not liking where his thoughts were taking him. _He's always more afraid around me, always hiding what he's truly feeling and he doesn't act like_ that. _Could it really be because of me he's acting like that? Would he be better off with someone else?_ He could feel panic clawing its way up in his chest. Picturing Naruto with someone else scared him and he couldn't even imagine life without his dobe next to him. He couldn't… couldn't even fathom life if Naruto wasn't with him.

"Sasuke?" Ino broke into his thoughts.

" _What?_ " He snapped, successfully making Ino back up. Everyone turned to look at him and was taken aback by the malice in his voice.

"W-we're stopping for lunch…" She said hesitantly.

Sasuke just stared at her before giving a curt nod and then following everyone into the restaurant. He sat in the seat farthest away from Naruto and crossed his arms, glaring at anyone who even thought about talking to him.

* * *

"So Naruto," Sakura said slyly, waggling her eyebrows, "how long have you two been together?"

"A-ah…two years." He said meekly, diving into his food and hoping to avoid the conversation, but they wouldn’t be easily deterred.

"When was your first time?" Ino asked in a hushed voice, sitting to his right. “How is Sasuke in the sack?”

Naruto blushed and choked on his food. He looked up to see Sasuke's eyes on him and smiled weakly. His boyfriend just snorted and returned to looking out the window with a muttered "Dobe" under his breath. He knew Sasuke was just livid over what had happened earlier today and the same thought kept running across their minds, _what are the chances of getting that far again?_

"Naruto?" Sakura asked and snapped him out of his thoughts.

"What? Oh! W-well…w-we haven't really…gotten that far." He whispered, turning red.

"WHAT?" They both yelled into his ears and everyone stared at them while Naruto just sunk lower into his seat. Sakura was the first to recover and spoke lowly, "Two years and you two _still_ haven't?"

"Why not?" Ino asked, "I thought you'd be all over him!"

"T-there a-are…things that get in the way…" He said vaguely, not wanting to go into it anymore than that.

"I don't understand."

"Yeah, what could get in the way of having Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"I-it's complicated…" He whispered, shrinking down in his seat.

Sasuke glowered at his boyfriend and the two girls. They were bothering Naruto with questions that were personal and that just pissed him once again. He had just begun to calm down and enjoy the day even if it was just slightly, but that was gone now. Seeing his previous mood returning, he prayed no one would irritate him today because they would be very sorry. Yet one poor unfortunate soul decided to goad the Uchiha about his temper.

"What's wrong Sasuke?" Kiba asked, coming within inches of his face, "Didn't get any last night?" He snickered.

Naruto dropped his chopsticks in shock and Sasuke felt anger boil up within in. He was already in a foul mood, he was already angry and worried and now Kiba was making smart remarks. Without a second thought, Sasuke punched him square in the jaw and pushed Kiba away from him, standing. "Don't _fucking_ talk about things you don't _fucking understand._ " He growled dangerously and then disappeared out the door.

Everyone gaped while Hinata ran to Kiba to help him. "Fucking Uchiha!" He growled, "What the hell's his problem?"

"It's my fault." Naruto said, standing up, "Excuse me." He quickly exited after Sasuke and found him walking home, hands in his pockets and his face tilted down. He sighed and grabbed Sasuke's arm. "Sasuke—"

"Is it me? Do I scare you Naruto? Am I the reason you still haven't recovered from that night?" He asked, his eyes full of uncertainty and fear.

"What? No!" Naruto said immediately.

"Are you sure?" Sasuke pressed, "I watch you interact with others and you're so different then! You're more relaxed around them, you seem happier when you're around them and I can't help but wonder if it's me that you're scared of."

Naruto shook his head vigorously. "I'm not scared of you Sasuke."

"Just tell me one thing Naruto." He said softly, tilting his head up and not missing the small flinch. He kissed him lightly and let one finger trace the side of his face. "Would you be happier with someone else?" Before Naruto could respond, he vanished from sight and left Naruto standing alone in shock.

"I…" He felt tears collecting in his eyes, "I-I don't know." He then took off through the streets, pushing anyone away and rushing to Hokage Mountain, climbing up to sit on the highest cliff. Wrapping his arms around his knees and cried like he hadn't done since that night.

Kyuubi arrived once he had calmed down and wrapped his tails around him. _-What happened?-_ He asked in a soft voice.

"Sasuke thinks I'm scared of him! He asked if I'd be happier with someone else." Naruto choked out, burying his face in his knees again.

_-And what do you think?-_

"I don't know what to think, that's the problem!" He cried.

_-Calm down kit. Imagine your life ten years from now,-_ he said, licking the tears off Naruto's face, _-and tell me what you see? Is Sasuke still there?-_

"I…" Naruto paused, closing his eyes and trying to imagine his life ten years from now. "Yes, Sasuke's beside me."

_-And twenty years from now?-_

"He's still there."

_-Thirty years?-_

Naruto nodded, "He's always next to me."

_-Now, imagine life without him in it and someone else in his place.-_ Kyuubi commanded.

He did as he was told, but every time he thought about life without Sasuke, he couldn't see anything. "I can't imagine life without him." He finally said.

_-And now knowing that, do you think you could be happier with someone else?-_

"No." He shook his head, "No, I don't think—no, I _know_ I couldn't be happier with someone else."

_-Sasuke is afraid you haven't healed because of him. You have to assure him that it's because of him that you're able to approach other people.-_

"But I can't offer what he wants me to!"

_-He doesn't want that kit, he just wants your assurance that he's not the reason you're still afraid and he wants to know you won't leave him. Remember, his greatest fear is losing you.-_

Naruto stood up, wiping away his tears and hugged the fox tightly, "Thank you Kyuubi."

He nuzzled the blonde and stood up, _-Don't worry, everything will be fine in the end.-_

Naruto disappeared down the side of the cliff and began searching for Sasuke, asking everyone he saw if they had seen him. He finally found him at the old training field they used to spar and watched as he stared at the three posts before. Naruto smirked; it was the post he had been tied to for trying to steal everyone's lunch and it had also been Sasuke's first nice gesture towards him, giving him his lunch.

He slowly approached his boyfriend and took his hand in his, startling Sasuke out of his thoughts. He looked down at the blonde and stared, Naruto could see he had been crying, or at least tearing up, his eyes were red and swollen.

"I tried." Naruto whispered.

"What?" He asked, expecting the worst.

"I tried, I really did Sasuke," he said, moving closer, "but…I couldn't imagine myself with anyone else. Every time I tried, you appeared beside me and I know there is no one else who can make me happy."

"But—"

Naruto shook his head, silencing him, "It's true I act different around them than I do around you, but so do you. You are my boyfriend, I love you, and it’s always going to be different from everyone else, but I'm not scared of you and there's no one else I want to be with Sasuke. I want to be with you and only you."

Sasuke leaned forward so their foreheads were touching. "Then it's not because of me?"

"If it wasn't for you Sasuke, I'd still be afraid to touch anyone." Naruto reached up and ran his hand through his dark locks. "I know it's hard and irritating and I wish I could do something, but I'm trying Sasuke, I really am."

"I know you are, I just worry it's because of me that you feel this way."

" _Never_ because of you." He whispered, bringing his mouth up to Sasuke's. "I love you." He said just before kissing him with everything he felt inside.

"And I love you, dobe." Sasuke muttered once they parted.

"Bastard."

"Baka."

"Love you."

"I love me too." He grinned.

"Now who's ruining the moment?" Naruto asked, grinning as well.

Sasuke slung his arm around Naruto's shoulders and pulled him close, "Well I have to catch up with your score, don't I?"

"Hey!"

"What? And don't say 'you're so mean!'"

"Fine! You're such a bastard." He growled, but wrapped one arm around Sasuke's waist loosely.

"And you're a baka. I think that evens it out."

"Even together, they fight." Sakura muttered, bringing both boys out of their little banter.

Sasuke just smirked while Naruto fidgeted; he wasn't used to having their relationship out before people he actually grew up with. "Of course, we're rivals first and boyfriends second."

"Oh we are, are we?" Naruto asked, trying to look angry.

"Hai, and you'd have it no other way."

"Love you too bastard."

"Dobe." He whispered before leaning in to kiss him. This of course made their audience gape since Sasuke was showing a new side, a side they never saw before. Naruto gave into the kiss easily and let it continue for almost a minute before leaning away to blush at their spectators.

"A-ah…"

"They're so cute together!" Ino suddenly said, grabbing Shikamaru’s arm.

Naruto blushed even more and buried his head into Sasuke's chest. "Sasuke…"

He smirked and wrapped one arm around him. "Hey, it's true so you don't need to hide."

"But it's embarrassing!"

"I could make you forget them…"

That made Naruto pull away, "Oh, so confident in your skills are you?"

"Of course. Do you want a sample?" He teased.

"I think I can resist."

"For how long?"

Naruto practically melted at the sweet voice and spoke truthfully, "N-not long…"

Sasuke smirked triumphantly and leaned in to kiss him, "Good because neither could I."

"I give up!" Itachi yelled from behind the group, eyes glinting dangerously. "Every _fucking_ time I see you two this is what I see."

The group began to shift nervously, not sure what to expect from the meeting of brothers again, unaware they already met.

Sasuke grinned, "What's wrong, aniki? I thought you'd be used to this by now."

"I'd think so too." He muttered.

Neji glanced between the brothers and finally said, "You're okay with having him back in the village Sasuke?"

"Of course, I'm the one who got him pardoned." Sasuke answered, throwing a smirk at his elder brother. No matter what happened, he would _always_ have that to lord over his brother with.

"But…"

"Itachi-san!" Naruto finally said, recovering from their kiss. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be home with your children."

"I would be, but Hokage-sama asked me to bring you in for testing."

Sasuke frowned, "Testing? You mean of his chakra?"

"Hai. I tried telling her Naruto had it well under control, but she wants to do her own examination and check the seal."

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered, tensing beside him. Examination meant he had to strip and let someone touch him, it meant he had to be naked before someone without any defenses and submit to their will. He began to tremble, the old nightmares returning.

"Tell her no." Sasuke said flatly, surprising everyone.

"It has to be done." Itachi insisted, his face emotionless as he stared at the couple. “It would only be Hokage-sama and Naruto.”

"I said no."

"Sasuke—"

"You _know_ he can't go through it, Itachi, don't make me repeat myself. Tell her if she wants to, then I'm going to be there with him and if he wants to stop then we will. We will leave again, you know I’ll take him away again." He threatened.

"That's not possible. Examinations must be done alone with only the examiner and examinee."

“ _No._ " He growled and pulled Naruto closer to him, who had begun to hyperventilate. Sasuke rubbed his back soothingly and then picked him up in his arms. "You know as well as I do that he cannot go through with it. You _saw_ him that night two years ago; I will _not_ put him through that."

"Sasuke…" Naruto began to cry, gripping him tightly. "I-I-I…I _can't_ do it. I can’t!" He pulled at Sasuke’s shirt pleadingly, "Don't let them take me, Sasuke, _please!_ "

He glowered at Itachi as he held Naruto tightly, "No one's going to, don't worry." He then walked through the other shinobi, passing his brother without a glance and called over his shoulder, "I'll be at Naruto's apartment if Hokage-sama wants me, aniki, but he's _not_ doing the examination."

"What the hell happened to him?" Sakura asked lowly. No one had ever seen the blonde in such a state and no one answered as they stared after their retreating forms.

Dhampir   
Page 8   
3/17/2005


	21. Chapter Twenty One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We made it over 200 Kudos and 100 comments, woo! ^_^

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Note:** Rape, OOC and Sasu-Naru

_-Kyuubi Talking-_

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Twenty One_

Sasuke had paid for Naruto's apartment up to ten years since they didn't know when they'd be back and he still had the key to it. He had found where it was from Iruka when he had to retrieve some of Naruto's things from the small apartment and had kept it with him all these years. The one bedroom apartment was kept quite clean and almost looked as if no one lived in it, Sasuke had wondered at the time if that was because Naruto rarely came home or if it was because he had so much time he always cleaned. Whatever the reason, Sasuke was glad the apartment had remained clean as he arrived at the door with Naruto still in his arms.

Walking slowly into the apartment he shifted Naruto in his arms and kissed him lightly. The words "examination" and "testing" had shaken him badly and Naruto was still shivering in his arms. Sasuke could've killed Tsunade at that moment for undoing so much of his work, he had been with Naruto for three years and still had yet to see the blonde naked and yet he had come close a couple times and now Tsunade just undid all of that with a single command.

He shifted Naruto again so he could open the door and then locked it again once he stepped inside. The place was left free from vandals in the past three years, thankfully, and Sasuke immediately headed for Naruto's room. He laid Naruto down carefully and then went to close the curtains, but Naruto's wails soon had him back beside the blonde. Naruto immediately latched onto him and buried his face into Sasuke's chest as he had earlier.

"Hush," Sasuke whispered, "I'm not going to let them do anything to you that you don't want."

"I'm scared." The blonde admitted and shifted so he was lying on top of Sasuke. "I'm afraid of what they'll do."

"If we must, we'll leave again, okay?" He assured him, petting his hair softly while his other hand rubbed his back. Naruto had his hands clenched full of his shirt and his legs straddling his stomach as he buried his head deeper into his chest.

"But…"

"I don't care if we're labeled missing nin, I refuse to let them harm you."

"I love you Sasuke." He said, his voice breaking with the intensity of the emotion.

"I love you too." 

"I just wish I could show you." Naruto continued, his shivering lessening.

"You will one day, I'm certain, but it's not today."

"I'm sorry I ruined today."

"You didn't ruin anything Naru, nothing at all." Sasuke said, nuzzling his hair.

"I'm just so scared o-of…" He began to shake again.

"Shhh," Sasuke soothed as he ran his hands over Naruto’s back, making certain to keep his touch over the shirt only. "I know, I know and if you don't want that, then you won't do that. Don't worry about that right now love, just calm down okay? I'm here and I won't let anyone hurt you. Neither will Kyuubi."

Naruto nodded against his chest and let Sasuke's breathing calm down his own, listening to his heartbeat and breathing. His shaking finally subsided and he began to feel calmer when Sasuke began humming that simple tune again his mother taught him. Naruto began to hum along with him, but Sasuke's voice was so soft and smooth he found he was drifting off despite it only being late afternoon. He tried to follow the little song, but he kept dropping off as his eyes kept closing and sleep kept interrupting.

Sasuke smiled every time Naruto fell asleep while he tried to hum along with him and finally chuckled when the blonde whined pitifully. "Go to sleep, it's been a long day for the both of us."

"You gonna sleep too?" He muttered, tightening his grip in Sasuke.

"Yes, I'll sleep as well."

"Love you."

"Love you too." He wrapped both arms around his back, just under his arms and kissed Naruto's neck lightly. "Forever." He then returned to humming and waited until he was certain Naruto was asleep before letting sleep claim him as well.

* * *

Five hours later, Sasuke awoke and found Naruto gone. He sat up, immediately panicking, and slid quietly out of bed when he saw his boyfriend staring out the window. The blonde leaned against the window frame, the moonlight illuminating his face as he stared serenely outside. Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief and crossed the room towards him. Stepping behind him, Sasuke wrapped his arms around him and looked out the window as well.

"Did I wake you?" Naruto asked quietly, trying not to disturb the silence of the night.

"No, but I never can sleep well when you're not next to me." He answered in the same hushed voice.

"Sorry."

"Did I scare you?"

"Nuh-uh." He shook his head, "I just felt like looking outside tonight."

"You do know I love you, right?"

Naruto smiled softly, leaning his head back against Sasuke's chest. "Yes and I love you."

"Good. As long as you know that." He sighed, resting his head on Naruto's shoulder.

"Tsunade will be coming here in the morning."

"Do you want to leave before then?"

"No…I don't know what to do Sasuke. I'm scared of the tests!" He said tremulously, his chest tightening with panic. "I can't do them, I know I can't."

"I'll be right there beside you Naruto."

"B-but they'll want me to strip a-and I _can't_."

"Then don't. I won't let them do whatever they want and Kyuubi will be ready to protect you at any moment and I'm ready to leave, you just say the word, okay?"

"You'd throw away everything for me?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything." Naruto said, turning around so he could kiss him. "For believing in me, for being there for me and for loving me."

"And I thank you for saving me from myself and Orochimaru." Sasuke whispered as he leaned in for another kiss. "I love you." He whispered against his lips and pulled him back towards the bed. "Come to bed love, it's cold and I can't sleep well without you beside me…or on top of me." He smirked.

"Hm…sounds good." Naruto murmured and fell on top of Sasuke once more, curling up to him immediately.

Sasuke smiled and ran his hands up Naruto's back before settling on the small of his back. "Go to sleep now…it's going to be another long day."

"Don't wanna."

"Don't want to what? Sleep or have another long day?"

"Both." He said, already falling asleep.

"Well then, come on." He said, sitting up and then carrying Naruto into the living room. He scanned the movies Naruto had and then finally chose one before sitting beside the blonde of the couch. "Come here dobe." He said and Naruto crawled over to him, laying his head in Sasuke's lap. He threw a blanket over him and then settled down to watch the movie while he played with Naruto's hair.

"Feels nice." Naruto said groggily. Sasuke chuckled and tried to focus on the movie, but Naruto's little broken sentences and moans of pleasure kept distracting him. And he soon gave up.

"Scoot over, I want to lie down." Sasuke said, flicking him lightly in the head.

"But comfy."

"More comfy in a minute…promise."

"Hmm…" He muttered, actually thinking about it before sitting up half asleep. Sasuke laid down and then brought Naruto back down between him and the couch back. He was lying on his back while Naruto on his side with his back to the couch and Sasuke wrapped one arm around his back so Naruto could rest his head on his chest. He brought the other hand up so he could continue to stroke his hair, but he was already falling asleep as Naruto crooned. "Is more comfy." He agreed.

Sasuke laughed lightly and turned to give him a brief kiss. "Told you."

"Meanie."

"I could sit up right now…" He suggested.

"No!" Naruto whined, "Not meanie, very nice, love Sasuke."

He just sighed, his boyfriend was well past the point of sleep and his ramblings were soon going to make absolutely no sense. "Love you too." He whispered and let his eyes close as he continued petting Naruto. His little murmurs told him Naruto was well asleep and just making content noises now, but Sasuke found it adorable.

* * *

When they finally awoke again, it was well past morning and both were stiff from sleeping all night on the couch. Sasuke kissed Naruto briefly when they awoke and then moved off, starting towards the kitchen to make breakfast. Naruto remained on the couch for another two hours before he finally decided to get up and join Sasuke in the kitchen where he was just finishing making breakfast.

"It took you two hours to make breakfast?" Naruto asked, sitting down before the plate Sasuke gave him.

"No, it took me ten minutes to make breakfast, but I knew you wouldn't get up for at least an hour so I waited." He smirked.

"Bastard."

"Smart bastard." He corrected before turning to eating the meal before him.

Naruto just muttered something under his breath and began eating as he watched Sasuke out of the corner of his eye. His hair was mussed like usual in the morning and he was dressed in some lounge pants that he had never seen before and a tank top, making Naruto wonder where they came from, but he looked like he had just walked out of a magazine. Every time he picked up a piece of food and put in his mouth, Naruto watched as his tongue appeared ever so slightly and then disappear between his red lips once more with the food. Then he'd lick his lips and bite the bottom one before picking up another piece to eat.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto and found him practically drooling as he watched him eat. He frowned and wiped his mouth, looking for anything he might have gotten on his face. "What? Is there something on me?" He asked, wiping his cheek. Naruto was just staring at him, he had even stopped eating to watch him and Sasuke was beginning to worry.

"Yeah…" He said distantly and stood up to stand next to Sasuke.

He licked his lips and looked up at his boyfriend, "Where—" He was cut off by a pair of lips covering his own. He moaned into the kiss and attentively let his tongue seek out Naruto's, which was astoundingly easy since Naruto was already swiping his lips for entrance.

Suddenly a weight descended on to his lap and Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's back as he wrapped his arms around Sasuke’s neck. The kiss continued and soon both were biting at the other's lips as their tongues reached out to touch each other before disappearing back into their mouths. Sasuke pulled Naruto closer and moaned when he heard Naruto gasp at the sudden movement.

He suddenly dipped his head downward and latched onto his neck, sucking and nipping lightly at it. Naruto moaned and tipped his head to let Sasuke have more range to his throat as he pulled closer to his boyfriend. "Sasuke." He groaned and let his eyes close with pleasure.

Carefully, Sasuke tested his boundaries by slipping one hand beneath his shirt and letting his fingers splay across his chest. Naruto tensed at first, but relaxed and let out a deep moan when his fingers brushed his nipple sending an enjoyable shiver down his spine. Sasuke's other hand slipped beneath the fabric and traveled up his back, softly tracing his spine until it reached his neck where he moved it back downwards to his waist, stopping there so not to panic his boyfriend.

He moved his mouth downwards, pausing at his vocal cords so he could feel Naruto moan, and then descending to his collarbone carefully. He didn't want to push Naruto too quickly because he knew Naruto would spook, but this was the farthest they had every gotten and Sasuke felt relief. He was surprised when he felt Naruto copy his movements and let his hands roam across his chest, something he never did even when he was completely clothed.

"Sasuke, I love you." He whispered, dropping his head to kiss Sasuke again. He lightly bit his bottom lip and sucked on it lightly before drawing Sasuke's tongue into his mouth. He closed his mouth slightly so he could suck on his tongue and was awarded with a deep moan from Sasuke.

Sasuke wished he could move from the chair to somewhere more comfortable, but he was afraid if they moved then Naruto would lose his nerve again and so he stayed where he was, letting his hands push his shirt up an inch at a time. "I love you too." He murmured against his lips and hungrily kissed Naruto's bruised mouth again. He had gotten Naruto's shirt up to his arm pits and was surprised when Naruto lifted his arms, but he didn't wait to question, dragging his shirt over his head and letting it drop to the ground forgotten.

Naruto gasped when his chest touched Sasuke's bare one, but instead of pulling away he came closer, meeting Sasuke's lips once more. "I want you." He whispered and licked the lobe of Sasuke's ear, making him shudder with pleasure. Naruto bit lightly on it and then took it into his mouth, worrying it slightly. "I want you." He repeated and moved closer, pressing his body close to his.

Sasuke just moaned as his tongue assaulted his ear and couldn't keep the "Oh god," from escaping his mouth when Naruto licked the place just behind his ear making him shiver with anticipation. He was hard and he could feel Naruto was too and rocked his hips lightly, making them both gasp at the friction. He rocked against him again and was overjoyed at the moan from Naruto as the blonde tightened his hold on Sasuke.

Yet it was once more destroyed when six Anbu appeared, surrounding them. Naruto immediately pushed off Sasuke and grabbed his shirt off the ground before dodging the six Anbu and locking himself in his room. Sasuke growled dangerously and pushed out of his seat harshly, knocking the chair over. "What the hell do you want?"

"The demon child needs to come in for testing." One said.

Sasuke clenched his fists and blinked once, red eyes with three tomoes spinning dangerously appearing. "Those are the wrong words to say to me." He said and began powering two chidori. "If you don't leave here in the next couple seconds, you will be facing my chidori."

"Hokage-sama has ordered this done."

"You can tell Hokage-sama she can go fuck herself because Naruto's not going anywhere." He snarled and attacked the closest Anbu to him and knocking him through the wall with a single Chidori before turning on a second Anbu and slamming him against the floor, rendering them both unconscious. "I can make at least twenty of these and you don't stand a chance. Now get out of here before the rest of you are knocked through some wall like him."

The remaining four didn't wait, but picked up their fallen teammates and disappeared to report to Tsunade. Sasuke let his other Chidori disperse and then knocked lightly on Naruto's door. "Naruto?" He whispered, "They're gone." He teleported inside and found his boyfriend crying on the bed, his arms around his knees. Sasuke sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Don't touch me…please." He whispered pitifully.

Sasuke grabbed a sheet and wrapped it around Naruto's body before pulling him towards him. "Is that okay?" He asked rubbing his arm soothingly.

He nodded before crying out, "I'm sorry Sasuke," and burying his face into his neck.

"Hey, it's okay. You did really good Naruto and I still love you." Sasuke cooed, pulling his boyfriend closer to him. "I'm really glad you got as far as you did."

"But you must be so frustrated with me."

"No, not with you. With Shu, with Itachi, with Tsunade-sama and everyone else in this damn village, but _never_ with you."

"I've been with you for two years and I'm still afraid, shouldn't I be over it by now? It's been three years." He asked.

"Naruto, you were raped and tortured. Three years is barely enough time." He sighed and stood up. "Come on, I'll take you to Iruka-sensei's house while I go and have a chat with Hokage-sama."

Naruto nodded and slowly stood up, the sheet still wrapped around him. He felt sick and told Sasuke so just before he threw up on the bed. He began to cry again, but Sasuke told him it was okay and just took Naruto into his arms and rocked him back and forth. "I'm sorry."

"Hush. Come on; let's get you to Iruka-sensei's house." He whispered before teleporting there and surprising both Iruka and Kakashi, who was now living there, with their arrival. At first, they were both overjoyed to see them, but immediately sobered when they saw the solemn expression on Sasuke's face. "Don't touch him." He warned before walking into the house and putting Naruto on the couch.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked Sasuke quietly.

"Hokage-sama wants to do an examination on Naruto and he can't do that. It's not something he _can_ do, but she just sent six Anbu to collect him and now he's terrified." Sasuke explained. "I'm going to speak with her right now, but I need you to watch him for me."

"Of course." He said immediately and started towards Iruka when Sasuke grabbed his arm.

"Don't touch him unless he says it's okay. That's why the sheet's wrapped around him, he can't take anyone touching him right now and he’s so messed up that he's sick. He threw up not too long ago."

"We'll take care of him and I'll stop anyone who tries to take him." Kakashi swore.

"Thanks." Sasuke whispered before kneeling down beside Naruto. "Love, I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"

He nodded and then leaned forward to kiss him lightly. "Love you."

"Always." Sasuke smiled, returning the kiss and then walking out of Iruka's house.

Stopping at his house to grab some clothes, he headed towards Tsunade's office, anger evident in his body language. He stormed passed everyone in the hall and anyone who tried to stop him ended up unconscious or badly hurt. Once he arrived at her doorway, he tried to calm his anger at least some before slamming the doors open and charging towards her.

"Sasuke." She said flatly.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He growled, so much for quelling his anger some. "I told you he's not coming in for some damn examination."

"He has to. I must be certain he's safe to be in the village."

"Safe to be in the village…" he laughed, "He's had this chakra for two years and not once has he lost control of it, but if you insist on examining him, then we'll leave. I don't care if we're labeled missing nin, Naruto cannot do this."

"He has to!" She yelled, “The Council will otherwise vote to—”

Sasuke slammed his hands down on her desk, the wood cracking slightly beneath his palms. "In the three years I've been with him I haven't seen him naked once, in the two years I have been together with him, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve seen him shirtless. Two years and he still has nightmares! The most skin I have ever seen on him was when he went swimming and today when he actually removed his shirt, but that was before your Anbu ruined it. Now he's sitting with a fucking sheet wrapped around him because he can't stand anyone to touch him. _I_ can't touch him and I'm his _boyfriend_!

"Naruto is terrified of touch and I was just getting through to him." He bellowed.

Tsunade’s eyes widened as his words sunk in. "But when he left here three years ago he was practically fine!"

"No, no he wasn't. Yes, he could tolerate touch but that was only because Kyuubi suppressed his memories, but during their merging, his memories came back and before Kyuubi could suppress them again, they were separate beings. Naruto has to deal with them himself this time and it's taken me a long time to get him to where he is. A _long fucking_ time and a lot of patience. If you must know, he just took to sleeping with me in the same bed every night last month! And letting me kiss him or touch him without him panicking, that was half a year ago and he still sometimes panics. He heard the words "examination" and "testing" and immediately reverted to where he was two years ago!

"He cannot go through with it, it is mentally impossible for him. If he can't even stand naked before me and let me touch him, why do you think you can? Both Kyuubi and I will protect Naruto to the end and I will not allow you to subject him to everything he fears!"

Tsunade stared at Sasuke in shock, "I didn't know it was that bad."

"Of course you didn't, that's because you just want to see the hyperactive Naruto you're used to, not the one that's inside." He said, letting his temper cool. "Just leave him to me and if you want to see him use his chakra then have him spar against me or you, but do not subject him to an examination."

She was silent for a long time before nodding, "Then we'll do it your way."

"Not today." He snarled, his voice leaving now room for objection. "Nor next week, this is going to take me a while to undo, but after that, we'll let you watch him. But if for any reason he panics, it's off and you're just going to have to deal with no examination at all."

She almost said "I'm the Hokage here and it's up to me when and if he does this examination, not you!" but decided against it when she saw the way Sasuke’s eyes glinted murderously. He would absolutely kill whoever tried to go near Naruto.

"Good. Now, I have a boyfriend I have to get back to and can hopefully calm down." He said, turning towards the door.

"I'm sorry Sasuke."

He paused at the door and growled, "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to Hokage-sama." Then he slammed the door shut and walked out. No one spoke a word as he passed them, the dark scowl on his face keeping them from approaching him. Not even Itachi was as scary as Sasuke was now.

Sasuke saw how everyone avoided him by yards and decided it best to calm down some before returning to Naruto, he didn't want to scare his boyfriend too. So he walked around the park for an hour before he finally calmed down to a simmer. Deciding it was good enough, he began walking back towards Iruka's house when he stopped, staring at the silver arm brace before him. It was plain looking, no designs on it or anything else, but Sasuke liked it. It wasn't like a normal arm brace, no this one spiraled around the arm so skin would show between it instead of just locking around the arm. Also, there was no clasp so it was slid up the arm which was unusual.

He looked up at the vendor and pointed to the arm brace. "How much?"

The man glanced at it and then at Sasuke, "How much ya offering?"

Sasuke pulled out half of what was in his pocket and handed it to the man and watched as the man began counting it. He wasn't even half way through before the man was nodded vigorously that it was his. Sasuke gave a curt nod and left with the arm brace without a word. He already liked how he thought it'd look on Naruto and fingered it lightly, tracing the smooth metal.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called from behind him and Sasuke slowed. He turned to her and waited until she caught up with him. "Where are you going?"

"Iruka-sensei's house. Naruto's there."

"Um…Sasuke-kun…will Naruto be okay?" She asked, shifting on her feet.

He sighed and shook his head regretfully, "I don't know. There are days where I think yes and then…things happen and I don't think he'll ever be okay again."

"I'm worried about him Sasuke-kun!"

"That makes two of us."

"Why is he like that? He was fine at first, but then Itachi-san came and suddenly he changed."

Sasuke closed his eyes, "I can't tell you. It's…personal."

"I remember the day before you left…Kakashi-sensei said something about us almost losing Naruto, he said someone tried to kill him. Is that what made him like this?"

"That among other things."

"Please! I just want to help." She insisted.

"Sakura, what happened to Naruto is his story to tell. There are certain people who know and they are far and few between. I know you want to help but what he needs right now is time and patience." He whispered and began walking away again.

"Can I come with you?" She suddenly asked.

He hesitated, but nodded once he saw the deep concern etched on her face. "Just don't say a word about how he looks."

"Hai."

They arrived minutes later and Iruka was pacing outside the door. When he saw Sasuke and Sakura, he immediately stopped pacing and fidgeted with his hands. "Sasuke, what happened to him? He hasn't moved from that spot since you left and he hasn't stopped crying yet."

Sasuke's blank stare faltered and rushed passed Iruka and glanced at Kakashi before looking at Naruto. He was still on the couch, the sheet wrapped around him, and he was crying, choked sobs could be heard through the sheet. Sasuke sighed and he started towards him. "Naruto?" He asked.

The crying paused for a second before it began again. "Sasuke, you came back."

"Of course I did," he said, kneeling down in front of him, "I'm sorry I took so long."

Naruto reached out, the sheet still covering him, and clutched onto Sasuke's shirt. "I thought…I thought…"

"Hush." He whispered and moved to sit next to him on the couch. "You're safe and I didn't leave you. I would never do that."

He snuggled against Sasuke's side, looked up at him with teary blue eyes. "I'm such a child." He whispered, "I can't even go for a stupid test."

"Love, you're stronger than anyone I know." Sasuke said and leaned his head on Naruto's.

"Well, that's closer than both of us got." Kakashi said quietly to Iruka.

Sakura looked at the two teachers, "What do you mean?"

"Every time we got five feet within him, he panicked. He's been sitting there since Sasuke dropped him off."

"Why did Sasuke do that?"

"So he could go talk with Hokage-sama." Kakashi said darkly. He was just as angry as Sasuke for what Tsunade had done. "I can't believe she would do that to him!"

Sakura cocked her head as she continued to watch her former teammates. Sasuke kept his hands hovering just above the sheets, close enough for Naruto to feel the warmth of his touch without actually touching. "Do what?"

"Naruto's very sensitive right now, as you can see, and he can't take contact from other people, even Sasuke has trouble with it, and Hokage-sama wanted him to go through an examination."

She pondered her old sensei's words before gently asking, "So then you know what happened to him?"

"Unfortunately yes."

"Who else knows?"

"Sasuke, Hokage-sama and Itachi." He answered. "Genma probably knows too since he interrogated that one Anbu…"

"And it changed him that much?"

Kakashi just nodded, the three of them returning to silently watch the two boys on the couch.

"Naruto, I brought you something." Sasuke whispered.

"You did?" He looked up with bright eyes and Sasuke inwardly sighed to see his dobe returning.

"Hai." He reached into his pocket and brought out the spiral arm brace.

"T-that's for me?" He gaped. He knew it was silver and knew it was expensive by just looking at it. Sasuke must've spent a fortune on it.

Sasuke smiled, "Do you like it?"

He just nodded.

"Can I put it on?" He asked softly. This was it, this would tell him everything he needed to know, if Naruto trusted him anymore and even more important, how far back he was since this morning.

Naruto hesitated, his eyes dancing back and forth as he thought about it. "I-I…"

"I don't have to…" Sasuke suggested, masking his disappointment as he moved the arm brace away. He had a lot of work to do again.

"N-no. Sasuke, I'm tired of being scared…" he whispered moving so he practically sitting on top of him, facing each other, but nothing touching. "I don't want to be scared of touch, of _your_ touch."

His eyes lit up; maybe he wasn't as far back as he thought. "Are you sure? I can just wait another day…" He suggested.

Naruto didn't trust his voice so he just shook his head and let the sheet fall some so one arm was exposed. He felt the soft touch on his fingers and shivered, closing his eyes and forcing himself to stay still. _This is Sasuke_ , he kept repeating over in his mind, his lips moving along in silent chant.

Sasuke moved forward and captured Naruto's lips with his own. "Calm down." He whispered to him and slipped the brace over his hand. Once it was past his wrist, Sasuke interlaced their fingers and used the other hand to slowly slide it up his arm, his eyes watching every move Naruto made. He was trembling and his breath was shaky, but he didn't pull away. His eyes were tightly shut and he finally dropped his head to Sasuke's shoulder, holding back his fear. He wrapped his other arm, still covered, around Sasuke's neck and moved closer to him letting Sasuke move the arm brace all the way to his bicep.

They looked so peaceful with Naruto straddling his waist, an arm wrapped around Sasuke's neck and his head lying on his shoulder while the sheet slipped down his back as Sasuke slipped the arm brace into place. Their fingers still laced together and the look on Sasuke's face showing nothing except concern and love for the smaller boy lying on top of him. Yet it wasn't as peaceful as it looked for beneath the blanket, Naruto was shaking and breathing raggedly and his arm tightened around Sasuke's neck painfully while his fingers gripped Sasuke's tighter.

"Are you all right?" Sasuke asked in a hushed voice.

Naruto shook his head no and clung tighter. "But I will be." He added, still not moving.

Sasuke closed his eyes and moved his arm around Naruto's waist, "I love you." 

"I love you too Sasuke…" he hiccupped, tears trailing down his cheeks.

"Hush, no more tears. I'm not leaving you and you have nothing to fear from me." He murmured, "Take your time, listen to my breathing and my heart and forget everything else." 

"Hmm." Naruto did as he was asked and moved closer to him. Hearing Sasuke's breathing always had a calming affect over him and he could already feel his fear leaving him as he sat with his boyfriend. He soon let the sheet drop slowly, carefully letting his fingers touch Sasuke as if his touch would cause him to hurt again, and hesitantly kissed his neck.

Sasuke let out a small approving murmur, but made no move to tighten his grip or return the kiss. It was now up to Naruto if he was ready to be touched again or not. He wasn't going to push him or suggest anything, Naruto was in complete control. Slowly his head appeared from beneath Sasuke's neck and he gave a weak but real smile. "Love you Sasuke." He whispered and gave him a soft, slow kiss.

"Love you too." Sasuke finally said, staring straight into his eyes and never letting them waver. "Are you better now?"

"Yeah." He breathed out and kissed him again. "Much better."

"I told you you're getting better, look how fast you're recovering."

"Only because of you." He whispered and interlaced both their hands. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Sasuke."

"Neither do I."

Naruto scowled and hit him, "Stop being mean!" He then stood up and finally noticed they weren't in Sasuke's or his house. "Ah…"

Iruka was quite red at the intimate moment they had just shared with everyone while Kakashi just smirked and Sakura was left speechless. "N-Naruto…"

He rounded and Sasuke, "You bastard! You knew they were there and you didn't say anything?"

Sasuke smirked knowingly and shrugged, "Maybe I like having intimate moments with you in front of others."

"I really, really hope not." He groaned, knowing Sasuke would if he truly wanted to and unfortunately, Sasuke had a habit of making him forget where they were and who they were with. He pulled the sheet back over his shoulders, but remained perched in Sasuke’s lap.

"It could be a good thing…"

"And how could it be good?"

"You really want to know?" He raised his eyebrows and smirked evilly.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Never mind."

"W-well…how would everyone like to have some dinner?" Iruka suddenly asked, retreating to the kitchen. "Sakura, you should stay too! It'll be a little reunion!"

"Sure!" She said, following him into the kitchen to help while dragging her old sensei behind her to leave the two young men alone for a bit.

* * *

An hour later, Sasuke got Naruto to move off of him and dressed into a long sleeve shirt that always made him feel safer after an event. The blonde grinned, giving Sasuke a gentle kiss and then announced he was going to go help Sakura and Iruka finish dinner.

Kakashi shook his head as he came out of the kitchen and sat down next to Sasuke, "Iruka cooks when he gets flustered or nervous…I never have to worry about an empty stomach and neither do the neighbors!" He laughed.

"Naruto cries." Sasuke said.

"At least your food bill isn't taking up your entire pay check."

"Excuse me?" He asked, "Look who I'm living with? He's a garbage disposal with feet."

"I heard that!" Naruto yelled from the kitchen and threw a towel at him. "At least this garbage disposal can cook as well."

"And who taught you how to do that? I seem to remember fifteen burnt cakes!" He yelled back.

"Sasuke!" He whined and everyone laughed.

"He'll be fine." Kakashi said to Sasuke, smiling beneath his mask.

He looked towards the kitchen, worry crossing his face, "Hn."

Dhampir   
Page 14   
3/19/2005 


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them. 

**Note:** Rape, OOC and Sasu-Naru

_-Kyuubi Talking-_

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Twenty Two_

"Naru, are you ready for this?" Sasuke asked, standing before the training field where Naruto was supposed to fight an Anbu member. They had arrived fifteen minutes before the scheduled time and Sasuke insisted on making sure Naruto was ready for the examination.

Naruto gripped Sasuke's arm tightly and nodded, though inside he was screaming _No!_ He glanced around the empty field and closed his eyes, voicing his inner fears. "I don't think I can do this…"

"No one's going to touch you Naruto."

"But what if—"

A slim finger on his lips silenced him. "I'll be here right beside you, Kyuubi as well, and Kakashi-sensei and Tsunade-sama will be judging. There is nothing to worry about."

"I'm scared of all the people." He whispered.

In the last month, Naruto was determined not to leave the house without Sasuke beside him. He didn't let anyone else touch him except Sasuke and even that was limited. He took to sleeping on the couch until Sasuke decided he should sleep on the couch instead, but he couldn't bring himself to sleep with his boyfriend anymore. Everything they had worked for in the past two years had been destroyed and Naruto was almost back to where he had once been. 

Sasuke tried to be patient, but Naruto could see how distraught he was over this. He smiled and held him when he could, but would often leave for walks in the middle of the night and Naruto knew it was to cool down. It wasn't that he was mad at Naruto, but every time he was turned away it was another injury to his heart. He often had to leave just so he wouldn't go out and murder someone—like the Hokage. Yet it was slowly gnawing at him and he tried to be the understanding boyfriend, but it just wasn't working for him. He wanted Naruto in his arms, he wanted him in his bed and he wanted to show him how much he loved him, but he couldn't have any of that and it drove him up the wall.

"Naruto, it's time." Sasuke said, surprised at how many people showed up. Their old teachers, the Rookie Nine, new rookies, almost every Anbu in the village, Mielin, Jiyara and some others Sasuke had never seen had all come to see Naruto's new chakra and the face-off between the clown of the village and an Anbu.

Naruto looked up and took a shaky breath before squeezing Sasuke's hand and giving him a fleeting kiss. He then pulled away and stepped out into the middle of the field while Sasuke joined Kakashi, Tsunade, Jiyara and Itachi. He glanced at his brother and groaned when he saw he was the one to fight Naruto.

"Well, begin." Tsunade said and Itachi slowly stepped towards Naruto.

"Itachi-san?" Naruto asked.

"Hai Naruto-kun. I'm your opponent."

He gaped. "Oh shit."

"Why is that?"

"Well considering you have your Sharnigan and you already know most of my attacks and how I think, this isn’t going to be as easy as I thought." He muttered.

Itachi chuckled, "You don't have to show me all your attacks, just show them you can control your chakra and a spectacular move."

That made Naruto grin, "Spectacular move huh? Then you won't mind meeting a couple foxes?"

He frowned, "You're going to call Kyuubi?"

"No…" His grin widened. "But Kyuubi showed this to me."

Itachi was immediately on guard as Sasuke groaned, knowing what was about to happen. He didn’t even need to hear the conversation between his brother and lover, Naruto’s expression said it all. He glanced at Tsunade and Kakashi and sighed, "This fight's over."

Tsunade looked quizzically at him. "It hasn’t even begun."

"Naruto's going to summon his foxes."

"His…foxes?"

"Chakra foxes. He modified the jutsu that split Kyuubi and him and now he can create these magnificent chakra foxes. They're beautiful, but very dangerous."

"Why?" Kakashi asked, pulling up his patch so he could watch more closely.

"Because they're made of pure chakra and take a lot of concentration, but what they do is draw chakra from the enemy. If one were to pass through you, you'd be drained of all your chakra except what will leave you alive and even that's up to Naruto."

Tsunade turned to watch again while Kakashi scanned the area until he spotted Kyuubi lurking just outside the woods. "I wonder who taught him that." He grinned and turned back to the fight.

Naruto started the hand signs and Itachi immediately recognized them, but they suddenly changed in the middle and left him stumped until two large foxes appeared behind him. They weren't as large as Kyuubi nor did they have as many tails, but they were just as black and just as stunning. Both watched Itachi with bright blue eyes and then turned to Naruto for instructions.

"Just weaken him and return the chakra to the earth." He whispered and the two foxes bounded off with a burst of speed. Like shadows, they moved across the field swiftly towards Itachi and when they came upon him, they attacked in a blur of movement.

Itachi didn't even have a chance to move before the black, four tailed foxes were upon him. Even before they touched him he felt his chakra reserve weaken and had only enough time to gasp before the sleek black creatures knocked him to the ground. No one could see what was happening, but it was over quickly and the two foxes stepped back as Naruto approached them. He laid a soothing hand on top of their heads and smirked when he saw Itachi kneeling down with barely enough chakra to make a bushin.

"What the hell was that?" He asked, eyes wide in a rare look of shock.

"These are my foxes." Naruto stated as if it were obvious and petted them softly. "They are mine to do as I command and they are pure chakra, they are completely under my control."

"Amazing creations." Itachi whispered and struggled to his feet.

Naruto gave him an apologetic look as he continued to pet his foxes, "Sorry, but I really didn't want to hurt you so I thought this would be the easiest way out of it."

"Don't apologize. You won and showed you can control your chakra without any difficulty."

Sasuke was grinning like a fool, Naruto just showed their Anbu Captain his place without even having touched him and he couldn't be any more proud. Tsunade and Kakashi both stared in shock at what had just taken place, but they both saw what was needed and were satisfied.

"He fawns over those foxes more than the Uchiha." Someone whispered.

"You're right, they barely touch and yet he's all over those foxes." Another agreed.

"Must be the Kyuubi, probably happier with the demons."

Sasuke froze and then stormed away, needing to get away again before he attacked the ignorant villagers. He felt bad for leaving, especially after Naruto just succeeded, but if he didn't leave then he didn't know what he would do. Ending up imprisoned didn't sound like a good choice. Growling in frustration, he shoved his hands into his pockets and headed away from the village for some alone time.

Naruto watched in shock as Sasuke left just after his victory. "Sasuke…?" He asked no one as he watched his boyfriend disappear from the field. He dispersed his foxes and looked at Itachi for direction. "Why's he leaving?"

Itachi watched his brother leave in a storm of rage, but he couldn't understand what could've forced him to leave soon after this. "I don't know." He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "He's upset over something."

"It must be me again!" He cried, his voice cracking.

"Why?"

"I just can't… _do_ it. I can't let him see me and it's gotten worse again. He can't touch me and I can't even sleep in the same bed with him anymore." Naruto whispered, rubbing his arm. “Let alone anything else.”

"You need to talk with him Naruto-kun. I don't know why he's leaving, but whatever the reason you need to settle things with him." Itachi said and then turned to speak with Tsunade and Kakashi.

Naruto frowned and then took off after Sasuke, following him into the woods until they both reached a small clearing where a stream ran by. "Sasuke, why'd you leave?"

Sasuke looked over his shoulder and just shook his head. "I just needed time to cool off."

"Why?"

"Just…something some people said."

Naruto hesitantly touched his shoulder, "What about?"

But Sasuke shook his head again, "It’s not important Naruto, just leave it alone."

"No, I want to know what's bothering you." Naruto steeled his nerves and grabbed one of Sasuke’s hands.

"Just leave it, Naruto!" He yelled and tore away. "Just…damn it!" Sasuke swept a hand through his hair and breathed deep trying to calm down.

"I'm sorry Sasuke." Naruto whispered.

"No—"

"You give me everything," he interrupted, "gifts, food, patience, training, money and all I have to offer you is myself and I can't even give you that!" He stifled a choked sob. "I know what those people said, maybe not exactly, but I know the only thing that would upset you this much is that I can't touch you anymore."

Sasuke just watched him with growing dread, afraid of what Naruto was going to say and knowing he was going to.

"I can't keep doing this to you Sasuke." He whispered, tears falling to the ground. "I'm not _good_ for you. It's true I can't see myself with anyone else, but at least you can find someone else. Someone who will let you in because I can't." He looked at Sasuke and bit his lip. "I'm sorry Sasuke, I love you too much to keep putting you through this torture." He turned away and ran, crying uncontrollably and barely missing the trees as he dodged them.

Sasuke still stood in the same place, shocked. He knew it was coming, he could see it in Naruto's eyes, but still, he didn't believe it would actually happen. Naruto had broken up with him and left. He could still see the tears on the grass before him where his love had been standing and see the footprints where he had come and left. He could feel the tears traveling down his own face and did nothing to wipe them away.

Itachi was the one who finally found him, still in the same spot, tears rolling down his face and uncomprehending the fact that Naruto had broken up with him. Itachi didn't ask, but just took Sasuke by the arm and led him back to the mansion, watching how his brother walked almost in a daze all the way back. He hadn't spoken a single word all the way, not even when Sakura yelled out to him. Instead, Sasuke walked passed her without even noticing she was there.

When they finally arrived at the mansion, Itachi set him down in the kitchen and brewed a quick tea, handing the cup to Sasuke and sitting down beside him. "What happened Sasuke?" He finally asked.

Sasuke looked at him with dead eyes, "He broke up with me."

"Naruto?"

He nodded.

"Why?" Itachi frowned, "I thought he was happy with you."

"He was…he said he didn't want to put me through any more suffering."

"You mean his aversion to touch?"

He nodded again, tears tracking down his face again. "But I'm suffering now."

"Maybe he needs some time."

Sasuke nodded again and then moved towards his room, barely noticing his niece and nephew tagging behind him.

* * *

Naruto finally collapsed behind a tree to cry. He couldn't believe he had done that to Sasuke. He had broken up with the only one he truly loved because he was so insecure with himself. He had been getting so much better too! And then one word undid it all and he was uncertain and afraid again. "I'm so sorry, Sasuke." He whispered and pulled into a tighter ball. "So sorry."

_-Kit…-_ Kyuubi whispered, coming towards him after two hours of searching for him. _-What did you do?-_

"I broke up with him Kyuubi!" He cried. "I broke up with Sasuke."

_-But why?_ -

"I don't deserve someone like him and h-he's always going through so much just for my sake." He sniffled. "I can't do that to him."

_-Kit, he loves you.-_

"He'll learn to love someone else." Naruto whispered, ignoring his tears. "I can't keep doing this to him Kyuubi, I'm so terrified someone will hurt me again."

_-Sasuke's not going to hurt you.-_

"But I'm going to hurt him!" He protested.

_-Kit, look what you're doing to yourself. You love him and he loves you, what else is there?-_

"H-he was going to start a family…he can't do that with me!"

_-He has no reason to anymore. Itachi has two heirs, his own aren't needed.-_ Kyuubi protested.

"I can't give him anything." Naruto whispered.

He sighed, looking forlornly at the blonde man. _-I can't change your mind, can I?-_

"No, it's better this way."

_-I don't agree kit, but there's nothing I can do.-_ Kyuubi looked up just as Kakashi appeared before them. He had been expecting the silver-haired ninja for some time now and nodded in greeting to him.

"Naruto?" Kakashi asked, hesitantly approaching the fox and boy. "We've been looking for you."

"Kakashi-sensei." He said, slowly standing.

One look at Naruto and Kakashi knew everything. "You left him, didn't you?"

"Hai…"

He sighed, "Come on. You can stay with Iruka and me for now until you and Sasuke work this out."

"There's nothing to work out. He'd be happier with someone who…"

"Who can give him something tangible you mean?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto just nodded.

"You know as well as I do Sasuke isn't one for tangible possessions. Why can't you see he just wants you?"

"But I can't give him anything in return!" He yelled.

"Do you think he gives to get something back?" Kakashi asked, walking back towards the village with Naruto in tow, Kyuubi disappearing into the tree line, but close enough to watch the blonde.

"But…"

"Naruto, Sasuke loves you and if you think your love isn't enough then you're a fool. He's waited two years, what makes you think he can't continue waiting?"

"But it's like I dangle in front of him what he can't have."

"One day you will be okay and then you can give him something in return, but that doesn't have to be today or any day soon."

Naruto shook his head, "He'd be happier with someone else."

Kakashi stopped and stared at his old student. "Naruto, I want you to watch him for the next two weeks and tell me what you see when you look at him. You'll see he won't be happier with anyone else."

"No. I want to get away and give him a chance to find someone else." Adding quietly, " _I_ need to get away from him."

"Well…I know someone who's going on a mission tomorrow, it'll last about a month and I'm certain he wouldn’t mind the extra help. Do you want to come?" He asked, seeing nothing he said would change Naruto's mind.

Naruto looked up at him incredulously, "Who is it?"

"Jiraiya."

"Ero-Sanin?"

Kakashi sighed, but nodded. "Yes, him."

"He'd take me?"

"Well other than you wanting to get away from Sasuke for a while, you are well prepared for it." Kakashi said, smiling with his eye. "So?"

"I'll go." He said, but he didn't sound very excited. For three years it had been him and Sasuke and never had they parted, but now he wouldn't see him for a month. Yet this is what he wanted, he wanted Sasuke to find someone else and live happily, even if it would break his heart to see his beloved with another.

"Then come on. We need to inform Hokage-sama and be on our way, we leave tonight." Kakashi said and set off towards the tower.

" _Our_?"

He laughed, "Oh yeah, I'm going as well!"

Naruto looked towards the Uchiha Mansion, even though he couldn't see it, and closed his eyes against the onslaught of tears. "I love you, Sasuke." He whispered before turning away and taking off after Kakashi.

Dhampir   
Page 6   
3/24/2005

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm updating early. I promised to update sooner for Lucychan93 if I got done with editing faster. 
> 
> And since many of you were upset with how the last chapter ended, I figured I'd go ahead and post this one now instead of making you all wait until Wednesday.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Note:** Rape, OOC and later Sasu-Naru

_-Kyuubi Talking-_

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Twenty Three_

_ -One Month Later- _

Naruto removed his Anbu mask and let out a sigh. Their mission was finally over! After a month of recon and assassinations, they were heading back. He looked over at his partners and teachers and grinned. Kakashi was worn out and practically sleep walking while Jiraiya watched his old student walking ahead of them. His grin faded to a pitying smile, Kakashi still hadn't recovered from their last assassination which had called them to stay up for two nights without any sleep. The lazy silver ninja complained most of the trip back about his missed sleep, but Naruto knew Kakashi could work without sleep longer than a couple days if need be.

"Kakashi-sensei, Ero-Sannin! Come on!" He laughed and looked back down the road. The road that was leading them to Konoha…to Sasuke. Thinking of that name, Naruto sobered immediately. Even after a month's time, he couldn't get his former boyfriend out of his mind for even a minute. Everything he saw was a reminder of what he once had and what he gave up, but what he dreaded above anything else was seeing who Sasuke had chosen.

His dreams were hauntings of black eyes and pale skin, small smiles and soft lips and even more, those soft caresses. Jiraiya knew he didn't sleep much and when he did, he often awoke with Sasuke's name on his lips before silently crying. He often stared up at the night sky because it reminded him of Sasuke, but anything that reminded him of the stoic brunette was never a good thing. Since he broke up with him, Naruto refused to let anyone touch him and even when Kakashi poked him jokingly, he stumbled away in fear. He had become worse instead of better since that day and took to wearing his entire Anbu uniform along with gloves and a turtle neck. He left no bit of his skin exposed and refused to sleep anywhere unless the room had a lock on it and only one window that also locked.

"Brat, slow down!" Jiraiya growled, still annoyed the blonde had disrupted his last information gathering. With Kakashi and Naruto handling the assassinations, he took the time to go and collect material for his new book, but the hyperactive blonde had other plans. Every chance he had, Naruto ruined his information gathering with pranks and just plain annoyance.

Kakashi sighed, seeing the change in Naruto's behavior and knowing exactly what had caused it. "We're coming…" He muttered, pulling out his orange book, but took to watching Naruto in reality. The blonde had become so quiet, barely speaking ten words in a single day, and withdrawn. He never said what he thought anymore and any mention of Sasuke sent him into a deep depression. In the month they were together, Kakashi had not been able to come within ten feet of him without the blonde shivering. It disturbed him that Naruto still couldn't trust him after all this time and even after a month, Naruto had not improved at all. The only person who Naruto trusted more than Sasuke was Jiraiya and not even the old Sanin could touch the blonde, though he was allowed a couple feet closer.

He still remembered their first assassination, before Naruto had taken to covering his entire body. He had taken to dressing in a short sleeve shirt, pants and his mask at that time. Yet after that first fight…

**_—Flashback—_ **

_Naruto fell silently to the ground already in the crouch position. The ninja before him had made a fatal mistake; he had turned down the wrong alley. He had never carried an assassination out before, but he was a ninja and his life was in the hands of the Hokage, her will was his will._

_He had told his partners and former teachers that he could handle this alone and they had agreed to only intercede if he needed help. Sapphire blue eyes glinted in the night and drawing a kunai, he crouched slightly lower before rushing silently towards the unknown ninja._

_Bringing his kunai up, he swiped at the ninja's neck, but met with metal instead of flesh. The force behind that block forced him back, and he spun around, falling back to a crouch to stop his spin. He let out a low growl, a habit he had picked up from Kyuubi, and licked his lips._

_The dark haired ninja turned to look at the one who dared attack him and casually flipped his kunai into the air before catching it by the tip. "So they decided to send someone after me, have they?" He asked. "Who are you?"_

_Naruto didn't answer, just narrowed his blue eyes and launched himself at the man again. He dodged underneath the roundhouse kick and slid beneath the swinging fists, blocking the blades as he tried to find the man's weakness. Sliding between the man's legs, Naruto cut the man's hamstring in his right leg, effectively bringing the man down to one knee._

_The ninja clenched his teeth in pain, but didn't drop his guard. He dodged, blocked and rolled away from Naruto's assault, though he ended up with many small, but deep, cuts. "Heh. Lucky shot there." He said in a slightly strained voice._

_Snarling, Naruto approached the man for the finishing blow, but was taken by surprise when the ninja grabbed his arm, flesh touching flesh. Naruto froze and grew stiff beneath the man, his weapon falling from his hands in fear. His eyes became blank and he barely noticed the man slicing into his chest, his nightmares becoming reality within his mind once more. He began to shake and tore away, but the man's hand just fastened on his wrist instead._

_He saw the glint of metal, saw the hand coming towards his throat, moving to kill him and finish what the rapists had started. But death never came, the hand disappeared from his wrist and the ninja lay dead on the ground, a kunai in his neck, while Kakashi stood next to him._

_"Naruto?" Kakashi asked in a quiet voice and touched his shoulder, but Naruto tore away from him and wrapped his arms around his chest, sliding slowly to the ground. The tears came unannounced and trailed silently down his face before they turned into slow sobs._

_Both former teachers stood silently before their younger companion, uncertain of what to do or say. Jiraiya finally knelt down beside the blonde and looked into haunted blue eyes full of tears, pain, sorrow and uncertainty. "It's over." Jiraiya whispered to him as he reached his hand out, but Naruto flinched away from his touch. Returning his hand to his side, Jiraiya sighed and shook his head. Blood covered his hands and chest, he knew Naruto needed medical attention soon, but the blonde was so overwhelmed by the slightest touch he had no idea how to get him back here and out of his past._

_"Sasuke…" The voice was bare audible in the silent night, but Jiraiya still heard it and recognized the need resonating in that one word. Sasuke was his safety, his savior, he was the one who kept the blonde's nightmares and fears at bay and now with the stoic ninja gone…Naruto couldn't keep the memories away._

_Closing his eyes, Jiraiya slapped his hands on his knees. "Snap out of it! You're a ninja of the Hidden Leaf." He said harshly. "You do as you are commanded and for the good of the village. You have failed your mission ninja, you did not succeed and put not only yourself in danger, but also others! Now stop this stupidity and act like a shinobi of the Leaf."_

_Blue eyes slowly rose to look at him and he watched as they hardened, all emotion and uncertainty disappearing from them. Naruto was no longer accessible, he had locked away his thoughts and emotions behind a stoic mask. Nodding, the blonde stood and let his arms drop to his sides, showing the deep gash left on his chest. He knew by tomorrow it would no longer be there and so stopping the bleeding was all that he had to do. "Jiraiya-sama." He said in a quiet voice before walking past the Sanin and Kakashi towards their hotel._

_This could not happen again. He was a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf and such mistakes as tonight were unacceptable. Sasuke was gone, someone of the past, and he was alone now—just as a creature like him deserved. From now on, nothing would get in the way of his kill._

**_—Flashback End—_ **

Even Jiraiya was surprised when the blonde didn't rise to his insults and refused to speak about anything personal anymore. Yet that wasn't what had both of them disturbed, it was how he killed the shinobi they were assigned to assassinate so easily. Even when he froze at someone's touch, he was ruthless when he killed and took to fully clothing his body so no skin would be exposed and leave a weakness in his defense.

"Kakashi-sensei! I thought you wanted to hurry back and see Iruka-sensei!" He whined.

"He knows nothing at all about respecting his elders." Jiraiya muttered to Kakashi. The two of them had become quite good friends in the last month, especially when discussing his books and talking about all of Jiraiya's experiences with information gathering.

Sighing, Kakashi agreed. "Even Hokage-sama isn't given the courtesy she deserves by him. At least he's talking more today." Jiraiya agreed.

"Are you two listening?" Naruto yelled.

"Well, you seem quite hyper today. There someone _you_ want to see maybe?" He smiled. Naruto suddenly fell quiet and Kakashi groaned. He knew he shouldn't have said that. "I didn't mean that."

"Yes you did." He whispered and looked back down the road. The gates were just visible. He should've been happy that he was returning, but instead he felt an impending doom falling over him and the only one he could think about was the one he was trying to forget. Naruto bit his lip lightly and replaced his mask. _Sasuke…_

* * *

Sasuke picked up Shu and smiled. "How was school?"

"It was great!" He laughed, "We're learning how to throw shiruken, Uncle Sasu."

"Really? That must be exciting!"

"Uh-huh! It was so cool! We get to bring shiruken to school now and watch fights and even get to fight! We get to fight in school Uncle Sasu."

"Well, that _is_ exciting." He laughed. To those who saw the two of them, they saw an excited boy and a smiling man, but to those who know Sasuke, they heard the hollowness in his laugh and the sadness in his smile. He couldn't hide the pain well enough to keep those closest to him from knowing the truth.

The little boy fell silent and looked around for a certain blonde. "Is Uncle Naruto coming back soon?" He asked, looking up at Sasuke, "He promised me he'd teach me Bushinjutsu and I have so much to tell him!"

Sasuke's eyes lost their luster and he shook his head. "I don't know Shu-chan, I don't know, but I wish I did." 

Shu hugged Sasuke around the neck, "You're sad now. Don't be sad."

"I can't help it." He smiled weakly.

"Why?"

"Because I lost someone very close to me."

"Well, can't you get him back?"

"I hope so…"

Then just like an eight year old with a good childhood, he jumped subjects, forgetting he was just sad a moment ago. "Let's go home! Yui told me she'd teach me to throw shiruken like her!" Shu said and let go of Sasuke's neck.

Sasuke put him back on the ground and followed his nephew back to their house. He didn't speak to anyone else on the way and kept his eyes trained on the ground. He still couldn't believe Naruto had left him after everything they went through.

_"I'm not_ good _for you!"_

Naruto's words kept repeating in his mind, but he couldn't understand them. Naruto _was_ good for him! He made him happy like no one else could. He couldn't follow what Naruto asked of him because he wanted Naruto, he didn't want anyone else, and yet he couldn't have the one he wanted. He still remembered the next day when he went out searching for him. He wanted to talk things out with the blonde, wanted to show him that he didn't want just sex, that he just wanted Naruto. When he couldn't find him, he panicked and went straight to Tsunade, asking her where Naruto had gone.

When he had been informed of the mission, he just stood there dumbfounded. Naruto wanted to get away from him so badly he accepted a mission minutes after their breakup. He didn't even want to talk it out or even see him, yet all Sasuke wanted to do was get closer to Naruto and even Tsunade refused him such actions. He was commanded to remain in the village for duty and was usually running errands or searching the perimeter, but it was never enough for him. He wanted his dobe back, he wanted him back so badly it hurt and every day he asked Tsunade if he could _please_ join him and every day he was refused.

"Naruto, when are you coming back?" He whispered to the ground, passing by the two figures staring at him without a glance. He just raked a hand through his hair and continued towards his house, his mind full of blue eyes and flaxen hair.

* * *

Kakashi watched the stoic shinobi walk by without a word and glanced at Naruto, who was completely taken in by Sasuke. "Well, I don't think he's gotten over you and I must say, he's looking so cheerful too." He said sarcastically. The Frog Sannin had already disappeared, saying there was something he had to do before meeting with Tsunade and leaving the two of them alone.

"He can't be like that because of me." Naruto whispered, watching Sasuke's retreating back. "It can't be because of me!" He insisted.

"Oh, I think so!"

"But…"

"Come on, we need to inform Hokage-sama we've returned and we'll see what she says, okay?"

"Hai." He regretfully turned away, glancing one last time at Sasuke, and continued towards Tsunade's office. They were immediately let in and Naruto grinned when he saw her sleeping as usual. "Old hag! Wake up!" He said loudly, still not removing his mask.

"Damn it Naruto!" She snapped, "Do something about your boyfriend, he is driving me insane with his incessant requests to go after you!"

"Um…" _Well, I was definitely not expecting that…_ "What do you mean?"

"Kakashi can tell me all about the mission, but you," she pointed a finger at him, "you need to do something about Sasuke. Every day, always asking when you're coming back and if he can go out and find you. Never ending!" She said, throwing her hands in the air. "Then he's always off somewhere else, I can't give him any important missions because he can't concentrate and he's either cold to everyone or so depressed he won't say a word unless Itachi's talking to him. He's completely useless like this! I want you to fix it." She ordered.

"B-but he was supposed to find someone else!"

She gave him a look of disbelief. "Him find someone else? He doesn't want someone else Naruto, he wants you and he's driving everyone insane because he wants you. Sasuke has never settled for less than what he wanted, he's not about to do that now."

He bowed his head and stepped away. "I'll go talk with him." He whispered, already dreading the conversation. He slowly walked through the village, his mask still in place, and stopped at the Uchiha Mansion. All the way there, he kept wondering how Sasuke could still be pining for him, asking after him and even willing to follow him into a mission he knew nothing about. A part of him was taken by it and he was smiling behind his mask just thinking about Sasuke constantly asking Tsunade about him, but another part of him was distraught that he hadn't moved on like Naruto hoped and feared.

He stood in front of Sasuke's house for ten minutes before walking through the gates to the front door and spent another five minutes contemplating if he should knock or not. Several times he lifted his hand to tap on the door and each time he walked away just to turn around and stand before it again. "I have to do this." He whispered and finally knocked on the door hesitantly.

He was just about to leave when the door opened, revealing a concerned Itachi with Shu just behind him. "Does Hokage-sama need something?" He asked, staring curiously at him.

Naruto startled for a second and then remembered no one had ever seen his Anbu uniform. "No, but may I speak with Sasuke?"

Itachi narrowed his eyes, "Why?"

"I just need to see him for a couple minutes, that's all."

"I'm sorry, but right now's not a good time." Itachi said.

"What do you mean? I just saw him on the street!" Naruto protested.

"Yes, but that was before he broke down crying for the tenth time this week." He explained.

"…Crying?" Sasuke _never_ cried.

"Hai, since Naruto-kun left he hasn't been the same." He sighed and then smiled apologetically at him. "I am sorry, but right now just isn't a good time." Itachi shook his head and began closing the door.

"Itachi-san! Please, it's me Naruto, I have to see Sasuke." He said, quickly taking off his mask.

"Naruto-kun?" The door opened again and Itachi stared at him. "You're back then."

"Yes, please, let me just see Sasuke for a while."

Itachi stared at him, searching his face for something and finally nodded. "I hope you've changed your mind Naruto-kun, Sasuke will never get over you."

He gave tight sad smile and then slowly walked to Sasuke's room. He knocked lightly and was startled at the hoarse voice yelling, "Go away Itachi! Just leave me alone, okay?"

Naruto stepped in quietly and was taken back to see Sasuke huddled by the window crying, his back to him. "It isn't Itachi…Sasuke." He said quietly, hovering by the door.

Slowly Sasuke turned to him and stared. Naruto was dressed in complete black as the Anbu did and he couldn't stop the thought running across his mind about how hot the blonde looked in black. "Naruto…"

"Hi."

"You're okay…"

He looked down, "Not completely…"

Sasuke turned away and looked back out the window, "Why are you here Naruto? Don't tell me it's to rip my heart out because you already did that."

Naruto flinched, biting his lip briefly. "Sasuke, I never meant to cause you more pain!"

"Then why the hell did you leave me?" He yelled, his expression wretched with pain and anger. "Because that's more painful than anything I ever experienced."

"I thought—"

"You always think something Naruto, but you never wonder what the other person thinks. You thought I left you, you thought I hated you, you thought I didn't care and you thought I'd be happier with someone else!" Sasuke was standing now, his fists clenched angrily at his sides. "Do you have any idea how hard it's been for the past month? You left without a word!"

"I know—"

"You didn't say a single thing to me and left me worrying about you for a month! I couldn't get you out of my head, Naruto. You tell me you love me, then decided to leave me and then disappear for a month." He ran his hand through his hair, disheveling the lackluster locks further. "Anyone can tell you I've been going insane since with worry."

"Sasuke—"

"Tell me what it is you want from me Naruto." He interrupted, coming closer to Naruto as his anger bled away. The blonde looked just as despondent as him. "Just tell me what you want and I'll do it as long as I can be with you."

A tear slipped down his face and then another. "I just want you to be happy."

"I'm happy with you, aren't you happy with me?"

"Of course I am!"

"Then why do you push me away?"

"Because I can't give you what you want." He whispered.

Sasuke took another step towards him. "I don't want your body Naruto, I never did." He reached out and brushed a finger against Naruto's lips. "All I want is you."

More tears began to roll down his cheeks. "I've missed you Sasuke, I couldn't get you out of my thoughts or my dreams." He said before he could stop the words. "But all I do is hurt you!"

"Hurt me?" He whispered, slowly drawing Naruto into his arms. "I've missed you so much—"

Naruto drew away, "I'll just keep hurting you Sasuke," he whispered, his voice strained but firm. "I don't want to hurt you."

"It's true, it hurts every time I get turned away, every time I can't hold you, every time I can't kiss you, but that is nothing compared to not having you in my life." Sasuke said quietly, "You once told me you couldn't see anyone else in your life except me Naruto, and I'm telling you there is no one else in my life except you."

"No, there has to be someone else!" Naruto insisted emphatically, "Don't you see? I'll never be able to give you what you want!"

"And how the hell do you know what I want?" He yelled, anger spiking once more. "Who are you to tell me what I want?"

"That's what everybody else wants! The first thing Sakura and Ino asked me was when the first time we slept together was and I heard what Kiba said to you! Everyone eventually wants to have sex with the person they love."

"I'm not everybody else, Naruto! And this isn't between everybody else and me, this is between _you_ and me. I don't care what everyone out there thinks or does Naruto, I just want you."

Naruto began sobbing with hiccupping breaths as he choked out. "Why can't you just leave it? Why can't you just let me live my life knowing I'm not making a mistake?"

"You think us being together is a mistake?" Sasuke whispered, his face full of pain and disbelief.

"No! I-I…that's not what I meant." He protested, but it was too late. It had been said and Sasuke was already turning away from him, his eyes turning cold and unreadable.

"I've heard enough Naruto. Go away." He said, his voice so bitter it made Naruto flinch.

"Sasuke—"

"I said get out!" Sasuke yelled and Naruto slowly backed away.

"Forgive me." He whispered and then closed the door as well as his heart. He slowly passed Itachi; his body feeling like it weighed ten times more than before, and just shook his head. He could hear the sound reverberating through the house as Sasuke continuously punched the walls in anger, but he could do nothing except leave. Closing the door behind him, Naruto turned around to stare at the house that he actually called home even though he hadn't lived there long, not even a month.

He bowed in regret and pressed his fingers to his lips in an indirect kiss. "Love you." He whispered, his voice choked with tears. "Always…Sas…Sa…" Naruto put his hand over his eyes, he couldn't even say his name out loud anymore it was too painful. With one last look, he replaced his mask and hurriedly walked away. With the mask in place no one could tell anything was wrong, but the tears dripping off the bottom of it betrayed him. Yet no one knew who the black masked Wolf Anbu was and all they did was stare after him as he walked alone, completely and utterly alone.

Naruto made it to his house before falling to his hands and knees in tears. Taking a shuddering breath, he removed his mask and threw it across the room. "I don't want to live without you!" He yelled into his empty apartment. "But I _have_ to…I can't take your happiness away from you as well as your dreams. Your dreams were one thing, but I can't live with you being so unhappy because of me!" He took two more deep breaths and closed his eyes, taking a minute to calm down. "I'll never love another," he whispered, "but I will not let you see my pain." 

Dhampir   
Page 10  
3/28/2005

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, PLEASE don't kill me THIS time??! 
> 
> Three more chapters left!


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot it's Wednesday!! Haha, it just suddenly hit me. So, Happy Thanksgiving to my US friends and Happy Wednesday to everyone else ^_^
> 
> Almost 250 Kudos ^_^ 
> 
> Welcome to my new readers and of course, I appreciate everyone who has been reading this all along! Ya'll are aweomse.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Note:** Rape, OOC and later Sasu-Naru

_-Kyuubi Talking-_

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Twenty Four_

Naruto refused to leave his apartment for two weeks, living off whatever food he already had and then starving himself until Iruka found him sick and weak on the couch. He hadn't eaten for three days after last speaking with Sasuke and then he began eating once or twice a day though he wasn't hungry at all. In the first week, he lost a tremendous amount of weight weakening his body, but it was the second week that was his downfall. He had taken a shower only to sit in it too long and have the water turn quite cold. Only after two hours did he finally leave and fall asleep on the couch in his drafty living room.

He had awakened with a high fever and severe chills, but he didn't care. He just drew a blanket around his body and stared uncomprehendingly at the television. Though he had broken up with Sasuke already, it hadn't felt real until Sasuke had yelled at him to leave. Yet that was what he wanted! ...Right? He hadn't cried once since that day, refusing to, but that didn't mean he was okay with having Sasuke out of his life. It was quite the opposite for him. He kept telling himself that he didn't want to be with Sasuke because all he did was hurt him, but his heart wouldn't accept it.

He refused to set foot in his kitchen because then he'd see the chair Sasuke had sat in, he wouldn't enter his room because there was his Team 7 picture with Sasuke in there and he could barely stand the sofa because that's where Sasuke had sat with him. Everywhere he looked he saw something that reminded him of the stoic brunette except the shower, that was the only place that didn't remind him of Sasuke.

Yet he couldn't remove the spiral arm brace Sasuke had given him. Everything else had been taken away from him, be it by his own choosing or not, but he never could get the nerve to remove the arm brace. He felt as though he still belonged to Sasuke, even if Sasuke chose another, and he just couldn't remove it, it was all he had left of everything he once had and though they were apart he was still Sasuke's and the brace signified that.

When Iruka saw the shape he was in as well as his apartment, he demanded for him to come live with him and Kakashi. At first Naruto stubbornly refused and insisted he was fine, but Iruka knew if someone didn't start watching him, Naruto would die. Informing the Hokage, Tsunade ordered the blonde to remain with Iruka and Kakashi until she said otherwise.

So now here he was, living with Kakashi and Iruka and he still hadn't changed. He rarely spoke, he stared at nothing, he refused to work to anyone's knowledge, refused to eat and physical contact scared him even more than ever before. He hadn't let anyone touch him since the last time he saw Sasuke and he withdrew into himself. He had shut the door to his heart and mind, letting no one know what he was thinking or feeling. His face was always blank and emotionless, just as Sasuke had once been before he settled things with Itachi.

"Naruto! Come on, it's dinner time." Iruka called from the kitchen.

The blonde just shook his head and returned to staring out the window as the snow fell from the sky. "I'm not hungry Iruka-sensei." He said, his voice just above a whisper.

"Please Naruto, you didn't eat anything today or yesterday."

"I'll eat tomorrow, I promise." He smiled weakly and stood up. "I'm going out." Pulling on his Anbu mask, he slipped on his shoes and stepped out into the frigid snow.

"Why?" Iruka called quickly, "Don't go out in that weather!"

"I just want to walk around." He said before closing the door. He raised his eyes to the sky and let the heavens cry his frozen tears for him. "I just want to be alone…" He whispered to the wind and began walking along the abandoned roads. Eight inches of snow already covered the ground and the snow was still coming down, but Naruto couldn’t care less. He had lost the one thing he wanted to his own stupidity and fear. He never told Kakashi or Iruka, but every time he went out at night, he left to watch Sasuke even if from a distance.

It had been two months since they had spoken, but they saw each other every time Naruto left the house, which was about every four or five days when Iruka insisted on him getting some fresh air. Sasuke would always make sure to nod hello to him and smile as he walked by with some girl…or some guy…but all Naruto could do was look away and keep walking. When they gathered in groups, he refused to look at Sasuke while he on the other hand would stare all night at Naruto with an arm slung around his latest catch.

Everyone thought Naruto had given up on working as well as life, they never saw him go on any missions or stand for guard duty, but he did. Dressed in his Anbu uniform, he could walk anywhere without anyone bothering him and he often went on one or two day missions, though he refused anything longer than that. His friends just thought he stayed inside all day and night, only coming out once or twice a week, but in reality he was often working with them without their knowledge. He was known as the Black Wolf Anbu and never gave his name to his partners nor did he ever remove his mask before another. He was nameless to all but Kakashi, Iruka, Tsunade and his Anbu Captain, Itachi.

Yet tonight he didn't leave to see Sasuke, he left so he could feel as cold outside as he did inside. He slowly stepped through the snow, watching it fall on his black Anbu uniform, which he rarely left without. It let him hide from the world, from Sasuke, and keep everyone away. Not even Sasuke knew what Anbu animal he was though he did know he was an Anbu. He had become known through his missions as a skilled shinobi and trusted partner, but he still refused to let anyone see who was behind the mask. He watched his warm breath mix with the cool air and continued to wander without a thought of where he was going.

He stopped in the park and closed his eyes. He stood alone surrounded by barren trees and stilled life, he was the lone wolf, the one without a pack or a mate and without a life. No one could call what he was doing living, he was more walking through life without a spark of it within him. He could truly be called one of the undead and would remain so for the rest of his 'life.'

"There's nothing more beautiful than winter." A smooth voice he hadn't heard in two months said and Naruto turned around to look at Sasuke, a ninja beside him that he didn't recognize.

"How is winter beautiful?" The ninja grumbled, a man Naruto knew now, the voice was light and not as deep as Sasuke's, but there was no denying it was a man's voice.

Sasuke laughed lightly. "All you see is the cold, the death and the ill in it, but I see the sparkling snow, the mystery overshadowing it and frozen tears coming from heaven in the shape of snowflakes and just how all life stops."

Naruto gasped, that was what he told Sasuke every time they walked in the snow, which was every time it snowed since Naruto liked it so much. He didn't think Sasuke would come to see it like that as well or use his wording. Every time Naruto had dragged Sasuke out into the snow, the raven shinobi would grouse about it even though a soft smile would always grace his lips.

"You think too much." The other whispered, locking their arms.

"Well, someone taught me that…" He said quietly before shaking his head and smiling again. "Enough of that! You don't enjoy this do you?" Naruto remained captivated by the way the loose snowflakes fell from his black locks and just how much like the snow his skin was. He had meant to leave at the first sight of them, but now he found he couldn't move.

"Not really…Oh! Hello!" The ninja said and they both focused on him.

Naruto bowed, but remained silent, keeping his eyes downcast and praying Sasuke wouldn't recognize him. Sasuke was the only Anbu Naruto refused to work with and Itachi was sworn to secrecy. The elder Uchiha had often tried to broach the subject with Naruto, but as soon as Sasuke was mentioned, the blonde would shut down and walk away.

"Hey! You're that Wolf Anbu, aren't you?"

"Of course he is, you baka. He's wearing that mask isn't he?" Sasuke asked, rolling his eyes.

"Hai…" Naruto whispered. "I'm sorry for disturbing you."

"Oh, don't go!" The man protested.

He began to shake his head when Sasuke smiled, "Yes, why don't you join us? It would be nice to have someone else who enjoys such nights as this."

Naruto shook his head again. "I can't."

"Sasuke…" The man beside him whispered and Sasuke turned. "I'm really cold!"

He laughed lightly and took off his jacket, wrapping it around the smaller man. "I told you to bring a jacket."

"I know, but I didn't know you meant to go walking around in the snow!"

Sasuke wrapped an arm around the smaller man and gave him a soft kiss. "Well now you'll be warm."

"But now you won't."

"Don't worry about me Shin, I'll be fine."

Naruto felt his whole being die with that one kiss. It was unlike all the other ones he saw Sasuke give, this one was heartfelt and caring, like the ones he used to give him. He closed his eyes, turning his head away, and silently reminded himself that this is what he wanted, but he had thought Sasuke would choose a woman, not another man.

"Hey, are you okay?" Shin asked him when he saw how the Anbu had looked away.

Sasuke frowned, "What's wrong?” Sasuke frowned, before adding sarcastically, “You look like someone just killed you."

Naruto opened his eyes and focused them on Sasuke, meeting those dark obsidian eyes he loved. "Someone just did." He whispered and then disappeared with the wind and snow, leaving not even a footprint of where he headed.

"Well that was freaky…he disappeared like a ghost or something." Shin said.

Sasuke startled at those eyes, not even hearing Shin speaking. No one had such azure eyes that could pierce through his soul except one person. "Naruto…"

"Who?" Shin asked.

Sasuke didn't answer; he continued to stare at where Naruto had stood seconds before gazing at him with such pained depths it shook Sasuke to his core.

Shin shook Sasuke lightly. "Sasuke?"

"What?" He looked at the smaller man, "Oh, nothing. I just thought I saw someone I knew, but it couldn't be him." He smiled, but internally he kept wondering if it really was him. And what he had said, Sasuke had barely caught it… "Someone just did." He repeated out loud and shook his head. Naruto was fine, he was somewhere away from him as he wanted and so the blonde should be fine…

"Sasuke, who's Naruto?" Shin asked.

"He was…" He fell silent. How many times had he gone out since they're break up? How many people? He may have been going out with someone new every week and acting happy, but he couldn't get over Naruto. He could never move passed a certain point with all those he dated because of the blonde dobe. He still loved him with every fiber of his being and though he tried to act normal and show Naruto he was living fine without him, he could never stop wondering about him, thinking about him or dreaming about him. The only reason he was attracted to Shin in the first place was his hyperactive nature reminded him a lot of Naruto. It was the only reason he could really kiss him as well, but he wasn’t Naruto…no one was.

"Why is it every time I ask you about Naruto, you fall silent?" He frowned. Sasuke often mentioned Naruto when he saw something that reminded him of the blonde or Shin said or did something like him, but he never said who he was. This was now the fifth time Shin had asked about him and yet every time Sasuke would just shake his head and walk away. He couldn't talk about him; it was too painful though he would flaunt whoever he was with to him just to see if Naruto even cared. Yet that's what hurt him the most, Naruto never had a reaction and he refused to talk with him or even look at him. "Sasuke, tell me who he is!" Shin demanded.

"He was my boyfriend." He whispered, still staring at the place the Anbu had been standing. "He broke up with me because he didn't think he had what I needed."

"And what do you need?"

"Him." He said without hesitance. "I've always needed him, but he wanted me to find someone else."

Shin looked down, how Sasuke spoke of him, he knew there wouldn't be a place in his heart for him. "You still love him?"

Sasuke stared up at the sky and let a single tear travel down his cheek. "Yes. I'll never stop loving him, I don't think it's even possible for me to."

"So then I never stood a chance." Shin smiled.

He started, "Shin I didn't mean…"

"No, it's okay. I know how you feel, I'm still not over my last lover, and I'm okay with it. Really."

"Naruto was kind of like you, his personality was at least, but then he changed because of what…some people did to him and he had the most vibrant blue eyes you could ever imagine. He became afraid of so many things, but I didn't care, I was happy with him." Sasuke said quietly. "But he did care and he finally broke up with me. When he came back from a mission, he told me our relationship was a mistake and I told him to get out. That was the last time we spoke…"

"Ah…so Naruto is the handsome blonde man I see every now and then." Shin said, smiling. "I was wondering about him…especially since how he watches you."

"Hai, that's him." Sasuke smiled, completely missing the last part Shin said.

"Sasuke, I'm glad you've been with me for the last two weeks and you've been great, but I think you need him, not me."

"You're right," he sighed, "but he won't let me have him. He refuses to let us be together."

"Oh you two have a chance. I've seen how he looks at you when you're not looking and he wants you, but he's afraid."

Sasuke frowned, "How do you know that?"

Shin smiled softly, "I can just see these things, like you want him also, but you're still bitter about what he said to you and that's keeping you away, right?"

"Hai…"

"My lover and I often fought and I had told him before as he had told me that we shouldn't be together, but I also can't forget him. Not even now, with you, can I think of just you."

"So why aren't you with him now?"

"Ah, he died on a mission before I could fix things between us again." He said quietly. "And that is something I deeply regret Sasuke, that he died before I could tell him just how much I needed him, how much I loved him."

"I understand." Sasuke said, "Thank you Shin, we'll still be friends right?"

"Yes, friends." He leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "If you do ever get over that blonde, give me a call, okay?"

Sasuke just nodded and then walked him back to his house, both lost in their own thoughts. He gave him a final kiss and then left, oddly feeling relieved instead of disappointed. Sasuke looked behind him at the house and then began walking back towards the Uchiha Compound, deciding tomorrow he was definitely going to talk with Naruto, regardless of if the blonde dobe wanted to or not.

* * *

Naruto slowly walked towards the Hokage Mountain, his eyes burned with the image of Sasuke kissing someone just like he used to when he kissed him. Shin was lucky, he had made Sasuke happy, something Naruto never could do and something he envied. He wanted to be the one to make him happy and smile like that, but that was impossible and he knew it. He swayed like a drunk in the streets and stumbled around blindly as the snow continued to fall.

He wiped the snow from his eyes and hair with a gloved hand. He had discarded his mask somewhere behind him, he wasn't exactly certain where, but it was no longer covering his face and the snow began to freeze his face and hair. Yet he really didn't care about that or anything else. He had lost Sasuke, just like he wanted, and yet now he felt so empty inside, completely empty instead of just lost.

"Hey! It's the demon child!" Someone yelled from the alley and Naruto paused to look at the three men huddling together. "We haven't seen you around for a while, maybe you want something to warm you up? Like us?" He suggested.

Naruto just continued to stare before saying, "Do whatever you like, I no longer care." His words carried like stones falling into the water, clear and loud even though he didn't speak over a whisper.

"What did you just say?" One asked in surprise. 

"If you want to rape me, then rape me. If you want to molest me, then do it. If you want to beat me, beat me. If you want to kill me, then please, kill me. I do not care what you want or what you do."

"Agh, that ain't the demon kid! This one don't care, the Kyuubi child's so terrified he makes it fun." Another said, laughing. "Get out of here you! We don't want you around here."

Naruto just hollowly chuckled and continued on his way, "No one wants me around." Looking up at Hokage Mountain, he began climbing, but stopped when Kyuubi appeared beside him.

_-Kit, what are you doing?-_ His black form majestic against the white snow.

"Kyuubi." He smiled lightly. Though he was known as Kitsune, he had become just as popular as the Black Wolf Anbu. The black fox was well known for protecting the walls of Konoha along with anyone from Konoha that was nearby. He often appeared out of nowhere to attack invaders and then disappear in a black blur. Kitsune was becoming a favorite among the citizens, even though they still despised Naruto as the Kyuubi demon, and he often entered the village just to walk through. It was also well known that Kitsune was a friend of his, though most people didn't like that, thinking Naruto would corrupt their new protector and turn him into another Kyuubi.

_-Kit…?-_

"I'm sorry Kyuubi, but I can't do it." His smile turning sorrowful. "It's gotten too hard."

_-No kit, don't talk like that.-_

"Why not? I have nothing else to lose. I even just offered a group of men to go ahead and rape me! I do not care anymore!" Naruto yelled. "At least leave me this!"

_-You can't do this.-_ The fox insisted, rubbing up the length of his body against Naruto’s back. -T _hink of everyone who will miss you.-_

"No one will miss me." He whispered.

_-Of course they will! What of your teammates and friends? They’ll mourn you.-_

“Not really. Sakura-chan and Iruka-sensei will be sad for a while, but eventually they’ll forget and won’t miss me. They’re better off without me, I’ve only ever been a burden.”

_-What about the village? You've done so much for these people— -_

"Without their knowledge, Kyuubi.” Naruto spat venomously, “If they knew it was me behind that mask they wouldn't pause to ruin me and hate me! The only reason I'm allowed in half the places I go is because of that mask. I _hate_ that mask! It's worth more than I am!"

_-What about Sasuke?-_ Kyuubi whispered as the blonde flinched.

"He's found someone else…but he can never be over me unless I'm gone." He whispered. It was true too, though he had found someone else to live with, his smiles were still forced and his eyes were still dull though he acted almost just like before. "Once I'm gone, he can move on."

_-Please kit, think about this…-_

"I have and it's best this way." He smiled and leaned against Kyuubi. "They're all the same to me, everyone's the same now, they're all the enemy to me and I can't even let them touch me Kyuubi, no one can even touch me. And now I'm scared of myself, of what I might do or become if I keep this façade up."

_-But you promised Kakashi.-_ Kyuubi insisted, pressing his head against Naruto's shoulder.

"I promised him unless my life became too unbearable and it has. I'm without the one I want, the one I'm scared to let get close to me, the only one who ever really mattered to me and now nothing matters anymore.” He swallowed thickly, “I love you, I love so many of you, but this pain…it’s excruciating."

_-I'll miss you kit.-_ He whispered, even though he would die as well.

"Thanks Kyuubi, but it won't change anything." Naruto then performed a couple hand seals, a sudden surge of chakra expelled and he smiled, "You won't die with me. You are completely free now." He said, parting his robes briefly to show that the seal was gone.

_-I'm not going to let you die alone!-_ Kyuubi howled, stomping his paw to the ground, leaving a deep imprint in the snow.

"That's my decision and I want to. I'm not going to drag you along Kyuubi, now if you'll excuse me; there's a place I wish to visit before I die." He said and began his ascent up the mountain side again. He could've just teleported up, but he wanted to walk it once more. He turned around to say his final farewell to Kyuubi, but found the fox was already gone. "Not even you can stay by me." He whispered and then turned back to climbing, blocking everything from his mind and heart that was painful.

* * *

Kyuubi rushed through the village, dodging late night walkers, buildings and anything else in his path, praying he got there in enough time. He couldn't stop him, he knew he couldn't, the kit was too set in his path for him to deter him from it. _-Please don't do it.-_ He muttered to the wind, finally arriving before the house he wanted. He jumped the fence and began pawing at the door, not wanting to break it down, but just get someone to answer though he would if someone didn't.

Sasuke pulled open the door, sharingan flaring dangerously until he saw the great fox, "Kyuubi? What is it?"

_-The kit! You have to stop him.-_ Kyuubi almost shouted. _-He's broken our bond Sasuke, I'm in no way bonded to him any longer! You've got to stop him, you must!-_

"What are you talking about, Kyuubi?” Fear freezing his blood, “What's happened to Naruto?"

_-He thinks there's nothing left to live for and he's going to kill himself if you don't stop him!-_ He said, now shouting.

"Kill himself…" He repeated, feeling his chest clench with dread. He took a shaky breath and then grabbed his jacket, slipping on his shoes. "Get Itachi and wake Tsunade, I'll find Naruto."

_-Your mountain, he was climbing it.-_

Sasuke nodded and started out, focusing on it with all his might and teleported there, hoping he wasn't too late. He stared out at the snow covered mountain and scanned the area for Naruto. The snow was so thick he could barely see anything, but he could just make out the dark figure standing near the edge. "Naruto!" He yelled, trying to cross the icy mountain top quickly though it was proving impossible.

Naruto turned around and stared at Sasuke still a couple feet from him. "Sasuke? Why are you here?"

"What do you think you're doing? Don't even think about it!" Almost there, just a couple feet, he could almost touch him…

"Why not? I've lost everything, even if it was because I wanted to." He smiled at him and took a step back, jut out of reach once more. "I love you Sasuke, but I can't live with this pain any longer."

" _No!_ " He shouted as Naruto stepped over the ledge, tears in his eyes and a smile on his lips. Sasuke dove over the edge, grabbing Naruto's hand and trying to pull the blonde closer to his body. He hit the side of the cliff, a grunt of pain escaping him as he held onto Naruto. He looked into surprised and scared blue eyes before focusing on anything, anywhere, that was closer to the ground as he pulled the blonde to his chest. His mind sifted through places they could teleport as the ground came closer and finally focused on the woods a half mile from his house where he used to visit every time he needed to think. Praying he could get them there in time, he made the hand signs and waited, his eyes closed shut and holding the blonde close. If they died, it was going to be together. They both fell with a soft thud and Sasuke immediately latched onto him. "No." He repeated.

"Sasuke! Why? Why did you do that?" Naruto cried. "I was so close to ending it all and forgetting everything."

"Because I still love you, dobe!" Sasuke said, lifting his head from the ground and staring at Naruto lying under him. "I can't stop loving you and I won't stop."

Naruto sniffed and closed his eyes against the tears. "I thought I could do it, but I can't watch you living with someone else, I can't do it Sasuke, so just please let me die."

"How can you be so selfish?" He yelled. "How can you be so selfish that you would take your own life and put me through such torture? Do you think I could continue living knowing you were dead?" Sasuke suddenly kissed his harshly, savoring it with every ounce of breath he had. He had been wanting to do that for so many months now and not being able to. "Naruto, I love you, I can't be with anyone else and I will follow you wherever you go, even into death and then I will follow you if we have another life."

"Sasuke…" He whispered, his eyes still closed from their kiss.

He smoothed back the blonde spikes he had dreamed running his fingers through every night. "I don't care if I can never fully have you Naruto, but I want what I can have of you. I want to have you beside me, with me, always and I will do anything to have you back."

"But—"

"I tried to be with other people," Sasuke said, brushing a finger over his lips, "and it was never the same. Shin was the only one who I could stand being with for over a week and even with him it wasn't the same. He reminded me of you, true, but he wasn't you. No one could ever take your place and I don't want anyone to take your place."

"But I keep hurting you…"

"And I want you to keep hurting me Naruto, as long as you're with me. One day you won't and then I'll show you just how much I do love you with my body, but I can wait a hundred lifetimes for that day if I must." He whispered leaning down again and biting Naruto's lip tenderly before kissing him again. "I love you, I don't want to lose you." 

"I love you too, Sasuke." He muttered and let Sasuke keep him pinned beneath him. He scrunched his nose slightly at the melting snowflakes on his face, though he was surprised they were so warm.

"Promise me you won't try this again Naruto, please…"

Naruto opened his eyes and looked up into the face in his dreams. Pale skin, red lips, dark mysterious eyes and dark tresses to match, but there was something wrong with it. The eyes were full of fear and sorrow, those red kissable lips were tight with worry and the skin was tinged with soft red. Sasuke was crying. Naruto reached up carefully, feeling the tear drops falling on his face, and wiped them away from one eye. "Sasuke, why are you crying?"

"Because I'm afraid I'm going to lose you." He whispered.

"Your greatest fear…" Naruto muttered and let his hand cup the side of Sasuke's face. "Oh gods I've missed you."

"Promise me Naruto." Sasuke insisted.

He bit his lip, but nodded knowing he could no longer deny anything Sasuke asked of him. "I promise."

Sasuke gave a sigh and let his head fall to Naruto's chest. "Don't scare me like that ever again! I thought I'd lost you when you stepped off the side like that."

Naruto hesitantly brought his arm around Sasuke's back while his other was still held in Sasuke's grasp. "I'm sorry Sasuke."

"Don't apologize, just say you'll come back to me Naruto." He whispered into Naruto's clothes.

"Then you forgive me?" He asked hesitantly.

"Of course I do."

"But don't you care that I may never be…intimate with you?"

"If all I wanted was your body Naruto, I would've left you long ago. I will always love you and if you never trust me enough to be with me that way, I'll still love you." He said, lifting his head to look at him again. He could feel Naruto tensing beneath him at their proximity, but he didn't make a move to get off of him. "I may be a little frustrated, but I'll be okay in the end." He joked, trying to make him more comfortable.

"I love you." He whispered and leaned up to kiss him.

Sasuke met him half way and immediately opened his mouth to him. "I love you too." He muttered between their mouths when he had the chance. Their kisses turned languid and chaste until they were only staring at each other in silence, but eventually Sasuke felt the blonde tense beneath him.

"C-can you…" Naruto said hesitantly. He was beginning to fear just how close Sasuke was to him and though he tried not to say anything, he couldn't stay like this.

Sasuke nodded and moved off of him, standing up, but he refused to let go of his hand, interlacing their fingers and drawing him close to kiss him again. He made sure he didn't touch him though his body screamed for him to draw Naruto tightly against him and kiss him breathless, but drew away soon after the chaste kiss.

Naruto stared curiously at him and finally asked, "How did you find me? How did you know?"

"Kyuubi came and got me. I was going to force you to speak with me tomorrow and tell you all this then, but Kyuubi said you were going to commit suicide and told me where you were." Sasuke said gravely, refusing to look at him as he spoke. "Gods Naruto, do you know how badly you scared me? Just how…"

Naruto looked away, "I'm sorry. I'm such an idiot sometimes and this was one of them. I just saw nothing else to live for and decided everyone would be better off without me anyways."

Sasuke wanted so badly to touch him then, just take him into his arms and hold him, but he knew Naruto would become afraid again so he settled for giving his hand a small squeeze and smiling down at the smaller man. "You're such a dobe, but you're _my_ dobe."

He smiled softly and moved in front of him before wrapping his arms around his waist and leaning his head against Sasuke's chest. He felt Sasuke hesitantly move his arms to hold him close to him, but when they settled on his back, they pulled him closer and Sasuke rested his chin on the blonde head. "Love you."

"I know." Sasuke murmured.

"But I have a lot to make up for these last couple months." He grinned and then fell silent, letting his body relax in Sasuke's arms just like he dreamed every night. He heard Sasuke begin to hum his mother's lullaby and just listened, enjoying Sasuke's smooth baritone voice. He slowly rocked against Sasuke, just holding him and rocking back and forth as it snowed around them. "Can you take me home now?" He whispered, not wanting to break the calming night.

Sasuke nodded and scooped Naruto into his arms, one arm around his shoulders and the other under his knees as the blonde wrapped his arms around his neck. They both knew they could just teleport back, but neither wished to and so instead Sasuke began walking back towards his house. He bent down and nuzzled Naruto, "Love you."

He smiled, "Always."

"Always." Sasuke affirmed.

* * *

Tsunade, Itachi and Kyuubi were waiting for them at the Uchiha Mansion restlessly and expecting the worst. Kakashi arrived at some point to tell Tsunade that Iruka and he couldn't find Naruto and Itachi informed him of what happened. He left to inform Iruka and also all of Rookie Nine that Naruto was missing and to keep a lookout for both he and Sasuke. Yet everyone arrived at the Uchiha Mansion without a single glance of either shinobi, which led everyone to think the worst.

Kyuubi kept pacing agitatedly, wishing that he and Naruto were still bonded so he could tell if Naruto was still alive or not, but there was nothing he could do about that now.

Iruka was already trembling in Kakashi's arms as was Sakura in Lee's, Hinata in Kiba's and Ino in Shikamaru's while Tenten clung to Neji, Choji ate nervously and Shino was as silent as ever.

Tsunade remained headstrong with Itachi while Mielin took care of their children and tried not to cry. Everyone was on edge, no one wanting to voice what they feared and so no one spoke. The one's not crying kept staring out at the gate, waiting for Sasuke to walk through with news and they kept waiting.

Finally after what seemed hours, a figure appeared at the gate and everyone held their breath until they could see Sasuke hazily. Tsunade closed her eyes, Naruto wasn't with him which meant he was dead or Sasuke hadn't found him…

Kakashi held Iruka close to him, trying to comfort his koi while he watched Sasuke approach. He gasped when he saw the figure in his arms and whispered, "Naruto…"

Yet everyone heard him and immediately all the crying stopped as they focused on the figure in Sasuke's arms.

"Naruto, look." Sasuke said quietly, though his voice carried in the wind as if he had a megaphone.

Slowly the head turned to show clear blue eyes and dark whisker marks. "Why is everyone here?" He asked.

"Because they were worried about you, dobe."

He looked at Sasuke dubiously, "Really?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"No." He laid his head back down on Sasuke's chest, suddenly very tired.

Sasuke sighed and slowly approached everyone else. "As you can see, he's alive."

Tsunade smiled, "You gave us all a scare Naruto."

"I'm sorry. I never meant to cause so much trouble." Naruto whispered, refusing to look at any of them.

"Oh, you can cause as much trouble as you want as long as you don't ever decide to do this again."

"I already promised Sasuke I wouldn't do it again."

"Well, you promised Kakashi that too." Iruka said softly, remembering too well the other times Naruto almost died.

"This isn't the first time?" Sakura asked for everyone else.

"Unfortunately not."

"The first time had been accidental!" Naruto protested weakly.

Sasuke gave a death glare to everyone present, "You are not helping right now." He growled.

"No, it's okay Sasuke.” The blonde took a deep breath, “They should know…e-everything."

" _Everything_?" He asked, staring down at Naruto in surprise.

He gave a weak nod. "Kyuubi can tell everyone, but I don't want to be here. Living through it once was hard enough, reliving the whole thing is just as bad and I’ve done that enough times…I don't want to hear about it also."

Sasuke nodded and brought him into the house. Making his way up the stairs, he ignored the others who followed him in. Walking into his room, he carefully laid Naruto down onto his bed and then kissed him lightly. "I'll be back after Kyuubi's finished unless you want me to stay here…"

Naruto shook his head, "No, you should know everything too." He took Sasuke's hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "I'll still be here when you get back, I promise."

"Love you."

"Love you too…"

"Get some sleep." Sasuke whispered and then stepped out of the room, descending to the living room where everyone was gathered before Kyuubi, who was curled up on the floor. "I'm actually thankful for a large house for once." He muttered.

Kyuubi paused in his telling when Sasuke entered. - _How is the kit?-_

"Hopefully sleeping." Sasuke ran a hand through his hair. "We almost lost him again. He had just jumped when I arrived…"

_-Well, if you're wondering, I just got to where they threw him in the river to drown him.-_

Sasuke nodded and sat down between Iruka and Kakashi since they made room for him. "I know I'll hate this…but I'll regret not hearing this in the end." He whispered to Kakashi and both men took one of his hands, both of them feeling the same way.

_-I will tell you right now…_ \- Kyuubi warned, _-It gets much worse from here so if you cannot handle blood among other things, leave now._ \- He waited and when no one left, bowed his head. - _Then I will continue…-_

* * *

_-…That's when Kakashi found him mostly dead and in hysterics and now he's like as you see him, afraid of physical contact. Once Kakashi came, the kit gave control to me since he couldn't mentally handle what just occurred.-_ Kyuubi finished.

It had taken him three hours to finish the telling, mostly because he had to keep stopping and repeating things for people, but when he finished everyone was left in utter silence. Sasuke didn't say a word, but bolted from the room to join his beloved in their room, though he knew he wouldn't be sleeping there for a long time. He crept inside and sat down against the wall to watch Naruto sleep peacefully. His whisker marks were still there though he was no longer bonded with Kyuubi and so were his canines and Sasuke couldn't help but smile when Naruto made an inarticulate growl and scrunched his face.

Sasuke settled down against the wall and just watched him sleep until he too fell asleep.

Downstairs, everyone was in disarray. At first they were all quiet and pale, even Kakashi, Itachi and Tsunade who knew about it were horrified by the lengths the four men went to torture and murder him. Then everyone began speaking at once, some gasping and shaking their heads, some wailing about how horrible they had been to Naruto through the years and how they had treated his odd behavior as nothing more than a quirk of his. Shikamaru just processed the information and shook his head, commenting on how any normal person would've killed themselves by now.

"And we asked him when his first time with Sasuke was!" Sakura wailed to Ino, "And I grabbed his arm that day and yelled at him on his birthday and now I understand why he was like that, but I didn't care then!"

"So that's why he's been so distant." Neji whispered.

"Kakashi! How could you not tell me this?" Iruka yelled.

"Because I knew you'd react like this!" Kakashi protested while Iruka broke down in his arms. "Anyways, Sasuke was taking care of him, I only found out because… well that's not important."

"I hope he'll be okay…"

"He will," Tsunade told everyone, "with Sasuke he'll eventually be okay again."

Kyuubi stretched, _-Don't treat him any different. I know that'll be hard, but it'll make things worse if you do.-_ Then he bowed to Itachi and left through the back doors, which were large enough for him to just fit through.

Itachi sighed, "You all can stay here tonight. We have more than enough rooms, but please, leave Sasuke and Naruto in peace."

They all nodded and he slowly showed each one to their room, where the bathrooms were and when breakfast would be served. He then bid them goodnight and retreated with his wife to their room after saying goodnight to his children.

Each person slowly stood and went to their rooms, each to their own thoughts and regrets. Tsunade was soon the last one left and after tidying up some, she slipped out of the house and went back to her office to think over everything she heard. She doubted many people would be sleeping tonight in the Uchiha Mansion, not after that story. "I'm sorry Naruto, that we couldn't protect you."

Dhampir   
Page 15   
4/2/2005

**Note:** I know they can’t teleport in the series, but well…at the time I wrote this there was like NO information out there about Naruto or what could and couldn’t be done. So they get to teleport in my story ^_^ --obviously it’s not canon, so what I say goes, hehe!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aren't you all happy I didn't leave it with ANOTHER cliff hanger? I had originally thought to end it when Naruto stepping off the edge, but after the last two chapters, I knew I couldn't do that. 
> 
> The boys are back to together, haha!! ^_^ 
> 
> Of course, they're not *okay*, but they will be...


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the ACTUAL Chapter 25! 
> 
> I had accidentally labeled chapter 24 incorrectly. It's been fixed ^_^

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Note:** Rape, OOC and Sasu-Naru

_-Kyuubi Talking-_

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Chapter Twenty Five_

Naruto blinked slowly and stretched, letting out a tired moan as he did. He let his hands rest above his head and sighed, the first thing he noticed when he awoke was he wasn't dead which meant that everything else that had also happened was true as well. As if to prove the point, Sasuke's head appeared above his upside down and he smiled.

"Morning love." Sasuke whispered and bent down to give him an inverted kiss.

Naruto just stared at him while Sasuke kissed him and then sighed, "It wasn't a dream then." He whispered, closing his eyes.

Sasuke frowned, "You wanted it to be a dream?"

"Nuh-uh, I just didn't believe it at first." He smiled.

"Well come on, everyone's waiting for us downstairs." He said, kissing him again. This time Naruto did respond and eagerly, continuing the kiss for a couple minutes before Sasuke pulled away. "Naruto…"

"They can wait." He said, thrusting his bottom lip out. "I haven't kissed you in three months."

"Oh, don't pout."

"Why not? They're going to take away our time."

"Naruto."

He harrumphed, but pulled away and smoothed out his black robes. Knowledge of him being an Anbu wasn't well known since most of the shinobi population would be enraged and so he remained unknown to all except a few, Sasuke being one of them. He looked at Sasuke, fear evident on his face, "I don't—"

He threw him some clothes, "Already got them from your apartment, which I must add looks like a wreck."

He laughed weakly and then shooed Sasuke from the room to dress. Of course, he still chose black when he went over there, though almost everything he had was orange. "Why black?" He whined, pulling the black tank top on and then the black fishnet shirt over top. Even his pants were black! Naruto concluded Sasuke had an obsession with black.

"Because you look hot in black." Sasuke snickered through the door.

Even though he wasn't even in the room, Naruto was blushing. "Sasuke!" Okay, so maybe the raven had an obsession with _Naruto_ in black…

"Come on Naru, you can come out now."

"I don't wanna." He answered petulantly, wanting to get the red stain off his cheeks first. He began wrapping his wrists in bandages and made certain his old scars weren't visible before looking at his outfit. He wasn't completely covered, but it was enough…or at least he hoped so. With Sasuke back with him, he already felt some of his fears abating. He hadn’t realized until they had broken up just how much Sasuke’s calm and steady aura had affected him.

"I already know you look great so don't worry about the others. Now come on, I'm starving."

He perked up at the chance of food. "Food?"

Sasuke sighed, "Yes, food."

"Why didn't you say that in the first place?" He almost yelled and slammed the door open.

"I really don't know." He muttered, staring at him. He really did look amazing in black especially when the shirt he had on showed off his slim yet muscular body. "You look…"

"Just stop there." Naruto whispered, already turning red.

Sasuke just smirked and leaned in to kiss him. "Very hot." He murmured and kissed him lightly. Naruto moaned against his lips, his embarrassment forgotten, and held on tightly to his shirt. "Love you." He whispered once they parted.

"Love…you." Naruto answered a little breathless, leaning towards him.

"You never took it off." Sasuke noted, touching the silver arm brace through his mesh shirt. "Not once…every time I saw you, you still wore this…"

Naruto looked down, "I was still yours Sasuke, I told you there was no one else for me and i-it just made me feel like I really still was yours even if I broke us up."

"And you're still mine." He said, kissing Naruto once more.

"Forever."

Sasuke smirked and pulled away from the blonde. "Come on dobe, when was the last time you ate? Iruka-sensei told me you rarely eat." He scolded, leading Naruto towards the dining room.

He had the grace to blush at least, "A-ah…a couple days ago…"

"Naruto!" He yelled.

"I was depressed okay?" He retorted.

"That doesn't mean you should starve yourself!"

"I wasn't starving myself intentionally Sasuke, I just wasn't hungry." He snapped.

"Naruto…" Sasuke said, hugging him from behind and making certain to keep his embrace light. "I'm sorry, I just worry."

He brought his arms up to clutch Sasuke's. "I know."

They remained locked in the gentle embrace until Naruto finally pulled away, his breathing already slightly irregular. He gave a weak smile, "Sorry."

Sasuke shook his head, "Don't worry about it." He held out his hand, waiting to see if Naruto would take it and leaving the choice up to the blonde. Naruto hesitantly took his hand and Sasuke gave him a reassuring squeeze before leading him into the dining room, where he was certain everyone overheard them. The main house was not known for its privacy, Sasuke remembered often hearing conversations echoing down the halls.

Naruto froze when Sasuke opened the dining room doors and then turned around immediately to leave. Everyone was just staring at him, no one spoke or moved, waiting for him to make the first move and so he did the only thing he could, try run away and hide. Yet Sasuke's hand kept him grounded. "Naruto." He whispered, trying to calm him down.

He looked at Sasuke and then away, "Everyone's just staring at me" He whispered. “Why are they all just staring?"

"They're worried."

"Worried?” He hissed. “They're staring at me like I've got two heads or something."

Sasuke grabbed his other hand, intertwining their fingers, and forced Naruto to stop pulling away. "Kyuubi told them everything love, they're not sure how to act around you anymore."

"Then they shouldn't have listened!" He yelled, turning to glower at those gathered at the Uchiha table. "Yeah, so I'm terrified of contact and I've had a worse life than anyone else in this room, that doesn't mean you should suddenly be careful because I might break. I'm not made of fucking glass and I've been dealing with things like this since I was ten, not to that extent, but I won't break."

"I know you won't,” Sasuke shrugged and looked at everyone in the room, “but well…they don’t.”

Naruto sighed, knowing Sasuke was just trying to help, and glanced at Kakashi and Iruka. They were there and so was Itachi and his family, he would be okay… "Don't leave me?" He asked.

"Never." Sasuke smiled and pulled him towards their chairs. He sat down between Sasuke and Itachi, oddly the two people he felt most comfortable around were the two people most people felt least comfortable around. He locked his left leg around Sasuke's and kept their hands together, smiling sweetly when Sasuke fumbled to hold his chopsticks in his left hand.

He looked around the table and gave a small sigh. "So now you all know what happened to me three years ago…that doesn't mean you should act any different around me. Sasuke hasn't, yeah he's my boyfriend—again—but he still calls me names and starts fights."

"I resent that." Sasuke growled. "Of course I act differently towards you now, I call you dobe more, taunt you more and…yes, I hit you more. But I do kiss you now, I didn’t used to do that."

Naruto rolled his eyes as a few people chuckled, "See? So just because some bad things happened to me, it doesn't mean I want everyone walking on glass around me."

"Hai…" They all said in unison, but still no one moved as if waiting for Naruto to make the first move.

"Oh, just start eating." He commanded.

That broke the tension and soon everyone was digging into their food and talking about things while Naruto picked at his and watched as Sasuke struggled to eat left handed. He grinned as he heard his boyfriend curse under his breath and picked up some of his own food. "Need some help?" He asked, holding his own in front of him.

"I wouldn't usually, but for some reason my hand is tied up." Sasuke answered flatly and let Naruto feed him.

"Admit it, you like this."

"Hmm…maybe," He smirked.

Kiba rolled his eyes, "You two already act like you're married." Which made both of them flush, but Naruto moved closer to Sasuke instead of further away.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at him childishly and Sasuke just shook his head again. "Why did I choose the most hyperactive, childish, troublemaking ninja?" He asked no one.

"Oh, you already answered that.” Naruto grinned, leaning close to whisper into his ear, “It's because I look hot in black." He lifted another piece of food for him as Sasuke snorted, but he couldn't deny it.

* * *

Brunch continued relatively normally, there was talk about missions, new dangers, Kyuubi, Tsunade, past memories from when they were just genin and so many other things Naruto lost count. But after seeing how typical Naruto was acting, everyone else just fell into place and practically forgot everything Kyuubi had told them. No one really seemed to notice until he shied away from someone or froze, but other than Neji’s fingers accidentally grazing Naruto’s when passing a dish, Naruto remained relaxed and calm between the two Uchiha brothers. Sasuke held tight to Naruto and Naruto fed him while taking little snippets of food in between, but they rarely spoke to each other. Instead they talked with everyone else around and just gave each other little smiles in between.

Shikamaru called to Naruto and asked, "I've done a lot of research on the Fourth's seal and have found out nothing, so do you know if it's possible to bring him back, especially since the seal has been completely undone?"

"There is a way, but I refuse to." Naruto said.

"Why? Don't you _want_ to meet him?"

"Of course I do, but to bring him back that'd mean I'd have to sacrifice Kyuubi and I'm not willing to do that. Kyuubi has kept me safe all my life, he's the reason I'm still alive today and I refuse to sacrifice him to bring back someone who is dead to this world."

"You do know…"

"That he's my father? Yes. I've known for years." Naruto said casually, while everyone else except Shikamaru, Kakashi, Itachi and Iruka stared at him. He blinked at them and frowned, "What?"

"You're father's the Fourth?" Sasuke asked incredulously.

"Hai."

"B-but…" Sakura gaped.

Naruto shrugged, "He's my father, he's dead, I have no mother and so I'm still an orphan. Can we move to another subject now? I'm still not going to sacrifice Kyuubi for someone I don't even know."

"D-does anyone know who this Wolf Anbu is?" Sakura suddenly asked, quickly changing the subject to something else Naruto didn't want to talk about. "I mean, no one has ever reported seeing him take off his mask or even give his name out."

"Sasuke, you're a wolf, right?" Neji asked.

"Hai, but mine is white." He answered, glancing at Naruto. There was no doubt in his mind anymore that the black Wolf Anbu was Naruto, but he wasn't about to tell anyone else.

"Well I don't see what's so great about this Wolf Anbu anyways. He doesn't tell anyone who he is and he's anti-social." Naruto said.

"Naruto! How can you say that?" Sakura asked, "He's one of the most skilled Anbu Tsunade-sama has! A couple of us have worked with him and yet no one recognizes his movements or anything."

"So maybe he's from a different village." He shrugged, "Still don't like him."

"You're hopeless." She muttered.

"Though that does remind me…aren't you an Anbu Naruto?" Shino asked, surprising everyone.

"Me? Yeah right!"

"But Sasuke brought you back in Anbu robes." Shikamaru added.

Sasuke felt the blonde beginning to tense and gave his hand a slight squeeze. "The robes were mine. I had them on when Kyuubi came and got me.” He lied easily, his impassive face almost bored looking. “Naruto was barely dressed in anything so I wrapped him in mine."

"Why did you try to kill yourself?" Kiba suddenly asked and Hinata hit him. "Ow!"

Naruto smiled weakly, "I really don't know…I guess I thought everyone would be better off without me here. It sounds stupid now, but at the time, suicide seemed like the best option to making everyone else happy. But it's over and done with and I've got to go now!" He said and quickly retreated from the room.

Sasuke glared at Kiba darkly and then returned to eating, already brooding over Naruto's quick retreat. "Stupid dog clan, can't keep their mouths shut for the life of them or their noses out of everyone's business." He muttered just loud enough for Kakashi and Itachi to hear him.

Kakashi began laughing while Itachi just smirked and everyone stared at the three in bewilderment. Yet no one dared question them and soon conversation picked up again with Hinata and Sakura scolding Kiba about being cold hearted and just plain stupid. Sasuke left soon after to find Naruto and that's when the real conversation began about the blonde. They knew as long as Sasuke was there, they really shouldn't say anything pertaining to Naruto, but now that they were both gone, they began asking Kakashi and Iruka about his earlier years of life. They had gathered from what Naruto had said that there was more to it than him getting raped. The Naruto they knew never would've just let that happen and then there were his other attempts at suicide. The couple gently fielded their questions, Naruto had said they should know everything, but both shinobi impressed upon the younger shinobi that nothing left their lips once they left this house. Itachi’s sharingan lazily spinning as he threatened exquisite torture to anyone who uttered a word certainly had them all emphatically agreeing to stay tightlipped. 

* * *

Sasuke stepped into his room, but Naruto wasn't there. He looked at the open window and smirked, knowing exactly where he was. Being around Naruto for three years did have its good sides, one being that he learned all of Naruto's favorite places to hide and be. Sasuke slipped out the window and jumped, gripping the roof with his hands. Slowly he pulled himself onto the roof, grunting as he put one leg over the side and then the other.

"Took you long enough. Why didn't you just jump?" Naruto asked, lying on a blanket as he watched the snow flurries gently falling. It had never stopped snowing, but now it was just light flurries instead of heavy snow like yesterday.

"I wanted to see if I could still do it without using my shinobi skills." He shrugged, not sure if he would be allowed to lie down next to the blonde or not, but his unspoken question was answered when Naruto scooted over and smiled at him.

"Well, you're not just going to stand there are you?"

He smirked and sat down next to him, giving enough room so not to make Naruto uncomfortable. "I don't really mind…" 

Naruto wanted to move closer, but his body felt jittery from all the contact already and so he stayed where he was. He flashed a remorseful smile at the raven, "Thank you Sasuke."

He nodded, knowing it wasn't something he had to answer for.

"I love the snow. It makes everything so majestic and magical." He whispered, looking up and reaching his hand skyward to grab at it.

"Hai, that it does."

Naruto wanted to remain as they were, but that wicked streak in his mind that never let him just leave what was peaceful alone rose into his mind and he grinned evilly at Sasuke. The raven was just about to ask why Naruto was grinning like that when he got a mouthful of snow. Sasuke sputtered and leapt away, brushing the cold snow off his face quickly. Naruto had already darted away and stood ready with another two snowballs.

"Oh, you are dead!" Sasuke yelled and grabbed a handful of snow, shaping it into a ball. "You're going to regret doing that!" He threw the ball at Naruto who dodged it with a shriek and threw his own. Sasuke chased after him and succeeded in throwing snow down his back, making Naruto yell out in shock.

"Sasuke!"

He smiled innocently at him, "What?"

Naruto growled and came towards him again, throwing snow at him with perfect accuracy, but unfortunately for him, Sasuke was a phenomenal shinobi and dodged them easily. "Get back here!"

"I think not." He laughed, but turned around and tackled his boyfriend to the roof. Yet he regretted it the minute he found snow down his front and back. "Hey!"

"Payback." Naruto sung and rolled them over, kissing Sasuke quickly before darting away to collect more snowballs.

Everyone heard the commotion inside as the two darted, slid and jumped across the roof and soon they were all filing outside to see just what was going on. They weren't surprised to see the two boys fighting, but were taken by surprise when they both paused in their fight and began attacking them. Soon it was an all out snow war full with clones, jutsus and screams—weapons weren't allowed. Even Itachi joined after a while of trying to play the cool, uninterested Uchiha and began chasing his children around the yard. Naruto laughed as Sasuke grabbed him around the waist and made him eat snow and soon teams were chosen, mostly as they once were. Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke and Lee against Tenten, Neji, Kakashi and Iruka against Ino, Shikamaru, Choji and Shino against Hinata, Kiba, Itachi and Mielin with Yui and Shu running around being on whoever's team they wanted to be on at the moment.

Of course Naruto and Sasuke won since Naruto had eventually used Kage Bushin and overpowered everyone else, but he had the dignity to wait a couple hours before ending it all. He fell against Sasuke's chest and giggled when Sasuke wrapped his cool hands around his waist loosely. "Give up Sasu- _chan_?" He asked.

"Give up? I think not!" Sasuke said arrogantly.

Naruto turned around and pushed him down into the snow, putting on his best pout. "Not even if I asked you to?"

That look was priceless and would've worked on anyone else except him. "I still think not."

"Sasuke." He whined.

"Yes Naruto?"

He bent down and kissed his gently, running his tongue across his frozen lips. "Not even after that?"

"Especially after that." Sasuke whispered, reaching up to kiss him again. "I think I found a new game." He said after they parted and Naruto blushed lightly.

"Sasuke…"

"It's so easy to make you blush." He teased and rubbed their noses together before closing the space between their mouths, making Naruto almost moan.

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say they forgot about us." Kakashi said to Iruka, false hurt evident in his voice.

Naruto shot up and looked at everyone now circling them. He then glared down at Sasuke. "You bastard!"

Sasuke cocked his head innocently, "What?"

"Oh, don't try that with me, you did that on purpose." He accused, pointing a finger at him.

" _I'm_ not the one who started it! You kissed me first."

"Oh, just put the blame on me." He said, crossing his arms as Sasuke sat up.

"Well, you can blame me this time." Sasuke said, kissing him again and pulling him closer.

This time Naruto did moan and once more everyone was forgotten as he deepened their kiss. Kakashi sighed in annoyance, "There they go again!" Then watching as the two kissed, he smirked, "You know, I think Naruto's been reading my Icha Icha Paradise books."

That made Naruto turn bright red and break away from Sasuke. "You pervert, you're the one who _gave_ me those books and I didn't read them!"

Kakashi became very still and slowly turned to look at Iruka who now had his arms crossed, a scowl on his face as he tapped his foot in anger. "You gave him your perverted books?"

"W-well…" He didn't get passed that before Iruka hit him square in the jaw, knocking him out.

"Serves you right, you perverted jounin!" He harrumphed and then dragged his unconscious lover home.

Sasuke pouted, "You didn't read them?"

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, thrown off by his boyfriend’s pout. An Uchiha never pouted. "Why would I read those things?"

"They might have some good…ideas in them." He grinned.

" _Sasuke!_ " He cried as everyone began laughing.

Sasuke pulled him close and murmured just so he could hear, "I love you."

Naruto let his head drop to his shoulder, wrapping his arms around Sasuke's neck, "I love you too." He then lifted his head back up to kiss him once more, an action he had missed greatly.

"Oh, that is it!" Sakura yelled and suddenly the couple was being pelted with snow from everyone. Naruto raised his arms as a shield while Sasuke used him as a shield, but they were both laughing.

"We're sorry! It won't happen again! Please! Forgive us!" Naruto pleaded through his laughs, though it didn't help much.

"Admit it! We win!" Kiba laughed.

"Never!" Sasuke said, hiding his head behind Naruto's chest.

"Hey! You're barely even getting hit!" Naruto yelled.

"So?"

"You're supposed to be protecting me!"

"So?"

"Agh!" He grabbed a bunch of snow and smothered it into Sasuke’s face. "Serves you right!"

* * *

Sasuke sat with his back against a tree, his legs slung on either side of the large branch. Against his chest lie Naruto, their fingers linked together as well as their arms. The others had gone home with the setting sun and Sasuke decided he wanted to sit out and gaze at the sky. Since the snow the winter sky had cleared and left behind crystal stars and a full moon. Naruto rested his head on Sasuke's shoulder and stared up at the moon with silenced awe. He always did love the moon, he didn't know if it was something he had picked up from Kyuubi or not, but even though they were no longer bonded, he still loved the moon just as much as before.

Sasuke rested his head against the tree, his eyes trained on the stars and night sky. He shifted Naruto in his arms and smiled at the smaller man, it felt beyond wonderful to have the blonde back in his arms, but he didn't dwell on how great it felt, just that it felt right. He breathed lightly on Naruto's ear, making the blonde turn towards him and gave him a tender kiss, "How do you think you did today?" He whispered.

He felt the smaller man shrug, "Okay I guess. I didn't panic when Sakura and Ino hugged me! Did you see that?"

"Unfortunately yes." Sasuke growled.

"Don't be jealous ‘suke, I love _you_ not them. Besides, they're girls." Naruto grinned.

"That's true. I guess I can't help but be a…what did you call me? Possessive bastard?"

He laughed, "That would be it! But I have to amend that. You're a hot, muscular, caring, twisted, possessive bastard."

"Caring bastard…well, that's a new one."

"Hey! That reminds me, when you told me yesterday if you just wanted me for my body you would've left me a long time ago, what did you mean?" He scowled.

Sasuke smirked, "What's it sound like?"

"Hmph. I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or an insult…" He muttered, but relaxed into Sasuke's arms.

"Well, let me tell you how I think you did today. I think you did wonderfully well, love. You came to breakfast, you spoke with people, you interacted with them and you let me hold you and kiss you." He said, kissing him again. "And you're with me again."

"And I think that made all the difference." Naruto admitted, closing his eyes.

"Are you tired?"

He nodded, "There were some points that took a lot of energy to keep going. Not with you though, that took no energy at all…except once…when you pinned me to the ground earlier."

"I won't do that again until you say it’s all right to do, okay?" Sasuke said and stood up, pulling Naruto up with him as well as he leaned against the tree trunk for support.

"Thanks Sasuke. Love you." He whispered and wrapped his arms around his neck to kiss him.

Sasuke smiled softly, brushing blonde bangs out of Naruto's face and cupping the side of his face. "And I love you." He leaned down, letting his arms wrap around Naruto's waist and pull him closer.

"Always." They both whispered just before their lips touched in a soft, but loved filled kiss that slowly turned into one of passion, longing and promise.

Dhampir   
Page 11  
4/6/2005  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter people! 
> 
> I'll see you all for the Epilogue on Wednesday ^_^


	26. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, this is it *cries*. 
> 
> The last chapter! 
> 
> It's been such a fun journey and I can't believe this is the end. 
> 
> Thank you for all the love, reviews and kudos!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_ nor any of the characters created by them.   
**Note:** Rape, OOC and Sasu-Naru

_-Kyuubi Talking-_

* * *

**Living a Lie  
** _Epilogue_

Sasuke sighed, taking off his mask and placing it beside Naruto's. He frowned; he didn't know Naruto was going to be home early, he had thought his mission would last until next week. Carefully retreating down the hall to their room, he shed his robes and headed to take a shower. There was still no sign of Naruto so that most likely meant the blonde had run out for some groceries or to visit someone. Stepping into the shower, he shook his head at the first spray of warm water and then let it wash over him.

A year had passed since Naruto's suicide attempt and they still hadn't gotten passed kissing and cuddling except for one time where Naruto had been so caught up in the moment that when Sasuke began grinding against him, he hadn’t freaked out until after they both came. It had immediately become one of Sasuke’s favorite memories to reminisce on, but Naruto had retreated from any touch for a whole week. Though, Sasuke had to admit, the blonde seemed less nervous about pushing things a little further after that, but never that far again in the past two months.

It had taken Naruto six months to return to Sasuke's bed regularly and comfortably kiss him and hold him. He still awoke some nights from the nightmares and would retreat to his own room to sleep alone, which troubled Sasuke, but Naruto always told him not to concern himself over it. Yet he feared Naruto would never trust anyone again, never trust _him_ enough to let Sasuke erase the rapists' mark on him with his own mark and let Sasuke show him how much he loved him.

Naruto would allow some foreplay and even instigate it, but if Sasuke pressed any farther he would suddenly pull away, give a regretful smile and apologize before retreating to Iruka's house for the night. Leaving Sasuke angry or irritated and hard. Damn, Naruto walking into the room or waking up left him hard and lusting, but he couldn't do anything about it. He refused to find someone to relieve his 'sexual tension' with and he refused to force Naruto any farther than he could go so Sasuke was usually left pissed and hard at what the blonde started and couldn't finish. But he was never angry with Naruto and he made sure his boyfriend knew that.

They were at least sleeping together and Sasuke could hold, kiss and pin him whenever he wanted to without a single flinch from his boyfriend, but he wanted to go beyond that. Naruto always apologized, asked him to be patient and work with him and Sasuke never said anything about it, even when they fought, but he often spoke with Kakashi alone. Telling him how frustrating, concerning, upsetting and maddening it was to be so close to Naruto and _know_ he can never go any farther than some foreplay. Kakashi would listen and offer sympathy, but he could do no more. The only advice he could give was to be patient, but that was hard with someone like Naruto. It felt like the whole village was beginning to notice just how good looking the blonde was, which just made Naruto even more fearful of sex and Sasuke even more aggravated.

Sasuke stepped out the shower, wiping the mirror with his towel to look at his reflection. Yet he really couldn't complain, Naruto had come a long way since then in such a short amount of time. Before it had taken him almost two years just to get Naruto to sleep with him nightly and this time it had only taken six months! He wondered if they had stayed away from Konoha if Naruto would have had sex with him yet or if all those people hadn't kept interrupting them just when Naruto got the nerve to go farther if they would've gotten there. Yet wondering didn't change facts and the fact was, they still hadn't and they were coming up on three and a half years together…if no one didn't count their three month breakup, which Sasuke didn’t.

"Sasuke?" A clear voice echoed through the house. They had moved into one of the guest houses on the Uchiha property to have some privacy. Though Itachi kept scolding Shu, the young boy never did learn and kept running into their room almost any time day and night.

The dark shinobi stuck his head out of the bathroom door and stared at his half naked blonde boyfriend clad in low riding black lounge pants, he never could find a pair that fit his slim frame properly and they were always falling down on his hips, torturing Sasuke endlessly. But he smirked, that was another improvement he forgot to add. About a month or so ago, Naruto had finally begun to wear less clothes, especially around their house. He had completely fallen in love with lounge pants and wore them constantly whenever he returned from a mission.

Even if he couldn't have him entirely, at least Sasuke could enjoy his boyfriend's body from the torso up. "Hai, here Naruto." He said and watched as the blonde turned around, focusing his clear crystalline blue eyes on him. He smiled sleepily at him and stretched, giving Sasuke a chance to let his eyes roam over the body he loved so much as his pants slipped lower on his hips. Naruto was lithe and muscular, he didn't look overtly strong, but Sasuke knew he was and the blonde kept his body in great condition. Sasuke felt the heat growing in his lower regions as he eyed Naruto and bit back a moan. Naruto always did have that affect on him and it was enough to drive anyone to insanity.

"I…agh…" he yawned, "I didn't hear you come in."

"Where were you?" He asked, stepping out with his towel tightly wrapped around his waist, feeling a certain problem quickly arising.

"Oh, I was sleeping on the couch…I've been waiting for you to come home all day!" He whined and came closer him, much to Sasuke's distress and delight. Being so close to the blonde was torture, but he wanted to be close to him and run his fingers over his tan skin, feel his soft hair in his fingers, smell the perspiration on his body as he lay moaning and begging beneath him, calling out his name while…Sasuke bit his lip, feeling even more turned on by the mental picture of the blonde in that state.

"Sorry Naru, but I thought your mission didn't end until next week." He answered with a groan, hoping Naruto didn't notice his rising problem.

"But you're talking about the Wolf Anbu here!" Naruto joked, giving the raven a cheeky grin. "We finished early and I came straight home, leaving them behind."

"You left your team behind?" He gaped.

Naruto shrugged, "Shikamaru was with them and so was Itachi. I haven't seen you in three weeks!" He said petulantly. "Itachi told me it was okay anyways."

"Well, if my aniki says it’s okay, then by all means come here." He whispered before pulling him into a fervent kiss, letting his tongue slip into Naruto's mouth and explore every crevice. He moaned and pulled Naruto closer against his damp skin, being certain the blonde didn't feel his erection.

Naruto inhaled deeply, pressing closer and wrapping his arms around his neck. He hesitantly let his tongue touch Sasuke's before biting his boyfriend's lightly, enticing a deep moan from the taller shinobi. It was his new favorite thing to torture Sasuke with, he always moaned when the blonde raked his teeth over his tongue and sucked on it lightly.

Sasuke moaned again, running his hands down Naruto's back and moved to kiss Naruto's neck, sucking on it slightly before running his tongue over Naruto's favorite spot, sending shivers down the blonde's spine. He felt Naruto groan and answered in turn as the sound went straight to his groin. "I've missed you." He whispered against his neck and laughed when Naruto's answer was a deep moan and leaning into him.

"Missed…missed you too." He choked out, his hands sliding down Sasuke’s chest and settling on his waist. "So much."

Sasuke gave into a moment of weakness and let his hands wander down past Naruto’s hips to grip the blonde’s ass and knead the pliant globes.

Naruto immediately froze and pulled away, staring at Sasuke curiously. "Why'd you do that?" He asked.

Sasuke sighed, closing his eyes and taking a steadying breath. "I'm sorry Naruto, it won't happen again." He began to pull away when Naruto gripped his wrist.

"Follow me." He whispered, walking backwards as he pulled Sasuke towards their room. Sasuke frowned, wondering what the blonde could want and let himself be pulled along.

"Naruto…"

"Shh." The blonde said, biting his lip as he opened the doors. Sasuke stared at the black satin lined bed and then at Naruto.

"What does this mean?" He whispered, afraid he was reading it all wrong.

Naruto took a deep breath and pulled something out of his pocket, placing it in Sasuke's hands. "You always say I-I look good in black." He said nervously.

Sasuke opened his hand and stared at the small tube of lubricant. "You mean…"

He nodded, still biting his lip. "I love you Sasuke and you've given me all the time I've asked for a-and I-I want to do this. I _want_ to…" he looked away, his voice dropping to a whisper, "I'm just nervous."

"How'd you know to get this?” Sasuke asked flabbergasted and gestured to the room. “When did you do all this?"

"I've been talking with Iruka-sensei for the past few months and while you were in gone.” Naruto admitted, flushing with embarrassment. “You always take a shower as soon as you come home. Y-you don't like it?" He asked, fear constricting his throat. He was being candidly truthful, he _did_ want to do this, but he didn't know _if_ he could do it.

Sasuke saw the look in Naruto's eyes and smiled softly, drawing Naruto's chin upward. "I love it." He said, kissing him lightly.

Naruto stood where he was, taking in the kiss, and tried to calm his nerves.

He slowly opened his mouth to Naruto and attentively drew Naruto's tongue to follow his with tender touches and small moans. Slowly Naruto began to respond and followed Sasuke's tongue into his mouth as Sasuke let his hands run down his back again. He felt Naruto tense beneath his touch but then relax, looping his arms under Sasuke's and gripping his shoulders.

Sasuke dropped his hands back to Naruto's hips, moving him closer so the smaller man could feel his erection through the towel that was beginning to slip off his hips, and rocked lazily against him. He heard Naruto gasp into his mouth, but didn't move away, and he slowly move his hands past his ass to his inner thighs. He then pulled Naruto up, making the blonde wrap his legs around his hips. "Are you okay?" He asked, searching Naruto's eyes. He could see the fear in them, but the want, the lust and the need were stronger in those azure depths than anything else.

Naruto slowly nodded, his face now level with Sasuke's, and slowly leaned forward until he could bite Sasuke’s ear lobe before giving a hesitant lick behind it. Sasuke groaned, his eyes lids fluttering closed as Naruto licked that particular erogenous zone again. The erotic sensations running through his body had his erection becoming even harder and Sasuke held Naruto closer to him, kissing the blonde’s jaw before moving lower to kiss his neck again. He slowly moved down to his collarbone, listening to the slight whimpering moans leaving Naruto’s lips, and bit down lightly before worrying over the mark he left.

Sasuke moved forwards until he felt the bed against his knees and then fell onto it so he was on top of Naruto and between the blonde’s spread legs. "I love you, Naruto." He whispered and ran his hand down his boyfriend’s chest, brushing his rosy nipples lightly while the other hand ran through blonde hair before gently tracing his kiss reddened lips as Sasuke just stared at him.

Naruto was flushed, his breathing irregular, but not from a rising panic attack for once and he brought his one hand up, gripping Sasuke's and kissed his fingers. "I love you…" He then intertwined them and let his other rest behind Sasuke's neck so he could drag the raven down into another kiss.

Sasuke moaned and shifted on top of him, their erections rubbing against each together and causing them both to gasp at the new sensation. Naruto pulled his head away and closed his eyes against the shockwaves of pleasure running up him. Sasuke happily returned to kissing his now exposed neck, slowly moving down before reaching the blonde’s pert nipples. He glanced at Naruto once before taking one into his mouth and letting his tongue lave across it. A slight groan fluttered from the blonde’s lips, a tanned hand tangling in inky black locks. Liking the noise he got from Naruto, Sasuke closed his lips around the bud and began to suck and tease it with his teeth.

"Sa-Sasuke!" He moaned, arching his back.

Sasuke pulled back to make certain Naruto was okay. "Does it feel good?"

"Don't stop you bastard!" He yelled, answering Sasuke's question and causing the raven shinobi to chuckle lightly before he returned to his previous task. He worried over one nipple, biting it lightly and then laving his tongue over it, while his other hand teased Naruto's other nipple, eliciting pants and moans from the blonde. Sasuke rocked his hips slightly, grinding against his boyfriend, and let out a moan as he switched to worry over the other nipple now that the other was unquestionably covered with his saliva and red and rigid from his teeth. Naruto was far too taken with pleasure to even think about his fears and he ran his hands up Sasuke's back, digging his fingernails into his back when he felt Sasuke rock against him. "Oh fuck…" He whispered, arching into Sasuke's touch again.

Sasuke smiled while he sucked tenderly on Naruto's nipple. He loved making his blonde dobe gasp and moan in pleasure and moved back up to bite Naruto's already bruised lips. He bit the bottom lip lightly before kissing him hungrily, letting Naruto know just how much he wanted him. Naruto responded just as impatiently and thrust his tongue into his mouth, moaning in bliss. "I want you." He whispered to Sasuke. "I've wanted you for so long." He moaned as Sasuke rocked against him again, his own hips slightly undulating to add to the friction.

Sasuke made his way down Naruto's chest achingly slow but with every inch further southward, the lust in Naruto’s eyes only grew. Sasuke stopped at the blonde’s navel, dipping his tongue inside seductively before nipping at the rim as he drew his hands down to the hem of Naruto's pants. He heard his blonde soon-to-be lover moan at the sensitivity of his navel and hooked two fingers inside his pants. "Love you." He whispered and slowly began pulling them, giving Naruto enough time to pull away if he suddenly needed to. He felt Naruto tense beneath him, but he didn't move away or ask him to stop so he didn't. He slowly pulled the pants off, standing at the same time and careful to miss Naruto’s erection before letting them drop to the floor. He let his towel loosen from around his waist and drop beside Naruto's pants before looking at his boyfriend again.

The blonde was panting, his tan skin so visible against the black sheets, his shaft upright and engorged with need. Naruto’s face was flushed with bliss, his eyes closed as his soft blonde hair was damp with perspiration and his hands clenched tightly with the sheets. Sasuke bit back a moan, Naruto was beautiful and innocently erotic lying so openly on the bed. He was right, of course, when he said the blonde was hot in black. Naruto was downright sinful surrounded by the black sheets.

Slowly he climbed back onto the bed and knelt over Naruto's waist, his hands planted beside Naruto's head, and bent down to kiss him. "You're perfect." He whispered and waited until the blonde opened his azure eyes to stare into his obsidian ones.

Naruto let his eyes wander down Sasuke's pale skin taking everything he saw and he blushed as he eyed Sasuke’s leaking shaft. "I…" he blushed even more and turned his face away though his eyes kept glancing back at Sasuke's body. The raven’s beauty was almost unreal with how that alabaster skin covered the hard muscles and even the few scars littering his body only added to his splendor instead of detracting from it.

Sasuke chuckled huskily and grabbed the lubricant that had been abandoned beside Naruto at some point during their tumble. He placed the tube into Naruto's hands and sat back. "It's up to you from here Naruto. I won’t force you, you decide." He whispered, his eyes never wavering as Naruto sat up slowly and stared at the tube, fear flickering just behind his eyes.

He slowly pushed Sasuke back until the pale man was stretched out fully on the bed. Naruto slowly climbed on top of Sasuke, pushing his fears away as he focused on something less terrifying than sex, and leaned down to kiss him. Their mouths met in a fierce battle of tongue and teeth and Naruto hesitantly let his hands run down his chest. “Love you.” He whispered against Sasuke’s lips and then began the same treatment Sasuke used on him, but when he came to Sasuke’s navel, he didn’t stop. Carefully he took Sasuke into his mouth and sensually gave the tip a hard suck, receiving a low groan and whispered name from the stoic shinobi.

This was something Naruto knew how to do, having experience since he was eleven he knew what brought a man to climax quickly and how to draw it out depending on what the molester wanted. He never thought his ‘training’ would come in handy one day, but with Sasuke, he was pleased he knew how to do at least one thing. He knew what the lube was for, but he didn’t know exactly what to do with it so he had turned to something he _did_ know to show Sasuke how much he loved him. He hadn’t ever let it get this far before because he knew Sasuke would insist on reciprocating and the idea had caused him to panic to even think about prior to the last few weeks.

He ran his tongue along the vein underneath Sasuke’s hard shaft, drawing a gasp from Sasuke, and then took the length more into his mouth. He placed his hands on either side of Sasuke’s pale thighs and deepthroated him, knowing it would drive Sasuke crazy. And just as he thought, his boyfriend cried out as the head of his shaft hit the back of his throat and engulfed his entire manhood in wet, tight heat. Nuzzling the Sasuke’s apex, he began bobbing his head up and down while running his tongue down the main vein and then dipping it inside the tip.

Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s hair and helped bob his head, moaning loudly as he watched his blonde boyfriend take his erection into his mouth. It was so erotic and he became even harder just watching him. Soon he was bucking against Naruto’s hands and moaning just thinking about how good it would feel to be inside his love. At that thought, Sasuke asked Naruto to stop, mustering up as much self control as he could before he just took the blonde as he was. Naruto stopped hesitantly, thinking he had done something wrong and frowned at Sasuke.

“Did I do something wrong?” He whispered, thinking he ruined the moment, and Sasuke chuckled at Naruto’s concern.

“No love, you didn’t do anything wrong at all, but…I don’t want to cum in your mouth.” He whispered and nodded to the lubricant still in Naruto’s hands. “You’re incredible Naruto, but I don’t want our first time to be like that.” He touched Naruto’s cheek, tracing his whisker marks and brought him up for a tender kiss. He released the blonde and then sat back, waiting to see what his dobe would do.

Naruto carefully shifted onto his knees and unscrewed the cap, his hands shaking with fear, but he wanted to do this. He took a breath and squeezed some of the clear liquid into his hand before looking at Sasuke questioningly. “I-I…I don’t know what to do.” He admitted, tears beginning to form in his eyes from frustration.

“Do you want to take me?” Sasuke asked, lust darkened obsidian just watching as Naruto’s eyes widened with fear.

“ _No!_ ” Naruto gasped, the thought never having crossed his mind. “W-what if I hurt you, Sasuke? I…no, I can’t do that.”

“Naruto,” Sasuke soothed, reaching forward to cup a tanned cheek as panic had begun to set up and Naruto immediately leaned into the caress. “You wouldn’t hurt me, but if it’s causing you more fear then you don’t have to, but I’m willing. It’s up to you.”

“I can’t, Sasuke.” He whispered brokenly and Sasuke immediately began to pull away, thinking he pushed Naruto too far, but a tanned hand gripped his wrist tightly. “No, I can’t _take_ you, but I-I still want to do this,” Naruto said tremulously as a tear trailed down his cheek, “I just…I don’t know how to do this, Sasuke.”

Smiling, Sasuke slowly took Naruto’s lubed hand in his own and led it to his cock, gasping as the cool gel touched his heated skin. He carefully began moving Naruto’s hand up and down his length, coating him with the lubricant. He closed his eyes in pleasure as Naruto began to pump his erection on his own accord and let a moan escape his mouth at the feeling of Naruto touching his engorged member. He groaned when Naruto ran his finger across the tip and opened his eyes to see Naruto looking up at him bashfully. Sasuke smiled and leaned forward to kiss him, whispering “love you,” once they separated.

Naruto smiled back, his courage returning, and began fisting Sasuke’s shaft, running his thumb across the tip and down the vein under his cock. He chuckled throatily when the black shinobi deeply moaned and shuddered. He began to stroke Sasuke firmer, squeezing the turgid flesh and enjoying the noises coming from his soon to be lover.

“Naruto,” Sasuke gasped, reaching out to still the blonde’s hand as he fought to stop his orgasm. “If you keep going, I’m not going to be able to make it any further.”

He frowned, uncertain of his words until he saw how Sasuke was trembling, pre-cum dripping steadily from the slit of his length and felt himself flush. “Oh.” He gulped, biting his bottom lip as he slowly let go of Sasuke’s cock.

Sasuke took the lubricant and slicked three fingers, pushing Naruto onto his back and carefully dragging his fingers down Naruto’s length, then balls and then further back between the cleft to where his entrance was. Naruto’s breathing hitched as his fingers brushed against the sensitive skin there and Sasuke leaned up to suck on Naruto’s neck where he knew the blonde loved it. Distracting Naruto as Kakashi had instructed him, Sasuke slowing began circling and teasing the blonde’s entrance carefully. Kakashi had warned him to take it slow and had showed him in his books how to prepare his boyfriend; those damned porn books had finally come in handy—much to their sensei’s glee. Sasuke followed his instructions, a pervert he might be but he still knew more than Sasuke did, and while Naruto was moaning, slipped one finger inside of him, just barely before carefully thrusting it in and out until it completely disappeared inside of Naruto’s entrance.

Naruto gasped at the odd intrusion, immediately tensing and clamping his muscles, but Sasuke immediately stopped moving. Naruto slightly shifted, but the intrusion didn’t hurt and Sasuke sucking and nipping at his neck was more than enough of a distraction as he relaxed and the finger carefully began probing him again. He felt the second finger enter just as slowly and this time there was a little bit of pain as the two fingers gently moved inside him. Sasuke felt Naruto beginning to tense again and moved to kiss his mouth, whispering, “It’ll feel better soon, I promise.” Though inside he was praying that was true. Kakashi had told him to find his prostate; a squishy piece of tissue that would make sure Naruto enjoyed it and want to do it again, but he wasn’t sure where that was. He carefully stretched Naruto with small scissor like motions and thrusting his two fingers deeper inside. Naruto let out a whimper and Sasuke saw tears coming to his eyes, panic beginning to fill them, his erection waning.

Sasuke brought his free hand to Naruto’s member, stroking it to fullness, and kissed him again. Naruto moaned, his hips rolling slightly as Sasuke continued to fist his cock while thrusting his fingers in hopes of finding Naruto’s prostate. Moving his fingers around inside the blonde, he continued to search for it while whispering to Naruto to be patient and he’d make it feel better soon. Naruto just nodded and clutched at the sheets tightly. He tried again, crooking his fingers to stroke the blonde’s inner walls and pressing gently as he continue to probe.

“What the fuck?” Naruto yelled, arching his back at the sudden intense pleasure.

Sasuke smirked, “Found it.” He whispered to the blonde, kissing him again and adding the third finger.

Naruto whimpered at the third intrusion, but soon forgot that when Sasuke stroked that spot again. “Found what?” He gasped, lifting his body against Sasuke’s.

“Your prostate.”

He cried out again and writhed beneath Sasuke. “Oh fuck, do that again!”

“Gladly.” He whispered lustily and thrust his fingers against it again, grinning when he felt Naruto convulse, his shaft twitching in Sasuke’s hand. Sasuke continued to thrust his fingers inside, loosening Naruto’s hole carefully until he was certain the blonde was stretched enough—or at least he hoped enough. He wasn’t certain how stretched he should be, but watching Naruto writhe beneath him, cry out for him and moan his name was becoming too much for him to bear. He slowly removed his fingers, chuckling as Naruto whined at the loss, before positioning the head of his cock at Naruto’s entrance. He looked at Naruto, “Ready?” He asked.

The blonde nodded hesitantly, shutting his eyes tight as Sasuke began pushing inside of him. “It hurts!” He hissed at the pain and tears began to roll down his eyes and felt his body tense at intrusion, memories threatening to return.

The raven shinobi paused, pressing gentle kisses to Naruto’s face, lips and neck. “I’m sorry, Naru, do you want me to stop?”

Naruto shook his head, “No, please don’t stop.” He begged even as he held back the sob in his throat. “This is Sasuke…” He whispered to himself as Sasuke began pressing deeper, hands soothingly stroking his hips. “He’s wouldn’t hurt you purposely.”

Sasuke groaned and stopped once he was half way within his lover, the tightness of Naruto’s passage pressing against him and clenching him almost painfully tight. “Oh fuck…” He whispered, dropping his head against Naruto’s sweat slicked chest. He pressed kisses against that tanned sternum, muttering soothing words as he continued to stroke the blonde’s sides. He waited until he felt Naruto relax around him and then pushed in the rest of the way, sheathing himself up to the hilt. They were both panting harshly and Sasuke was now lying on Naruto instead of being propped above him while the blonde gave hiccupping sobs and tried to not let his memories take hold of him. Sasuke reached out and touched his face, brushing his sweat drenched hair out of those cerulean eyes. He wiped away his tears and kissed him lightly. “I’m sorry Naruto.”

He let out a whimper, but looked up at Sasuke. He felt Sasuke grip his hand and then he kissed him again, so gently and tenderly that it steadied the blonde. “Sasuke…it hurts.”

“I’m sorry love, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He remained still, waiting for Naruto to adjust to him while continuing to press kisses anywhere his lips could reach.

Naruto spread his legs more and took a breath, clenching his muscles and making Sasuke moan in pleasure. The pain was slowly fading and Sasuke’s continued ministrations soon turned his mind towards the pleasure he was receiving as Sasuke swirled his tongue around one of Naruto’s nipples. Moaning, Naruto forced his body to relax and experimentally rolled his hips to see what would happen, a mixture of pleasure and relief filled him and he groaned, eyes sliding closed. Sasuke gasped quietly at the feeling and gripped Naruto’s hand tighter as the blonde rolled his hips again, causing Sasuke to moan as he fought his body to remain still. Naruto opened his eyes, watching the changing emotions on Sasuke’s face with avid fascination. The amount of control the raven haired shinobi was showing as his face contorted with obvious pleasure tinged with concern allowed Naruto to trust further. “Go ahead.” He whispered, keeping his eyes glued to Sasuke and focusing only on the rapturous pleasure on his face.

Sasuke nodded and pulled out half way before slowly moving back in, searching Naruto’s eyes and body for any signs of fear or pain, but though he could read some discomfort, the fear had receded. “Love you.” He said, pulling out a little more and thrusting back in just as slowly. He kept up the shallow thrusting and rocked his hips against his new lover, hoping to take some of the pain away.

“Love you.” Naruto whispered, his eyes still trained on Sasuke’s. He whimpered when Sasuke almost pulled all the way out and thrust back in, but he remained where he was and wrapped one free arm around Sasuke’s right shoulder. Sasuke grunted as he pushed in deeper, Naruto was so tight and his muscles were tightening all around him. He didn’t think he would last very long at this rate and he wanted to pleasure Naruto as well. Shifting his angle, he hit Naruto’s prostate drawing a loud gasp from the blonde.

Colors flooded his vision when Sasuke hit that spot and immediately any pain and discomfort was forgotten. “Sasuke!” He cried out when Sasuke hit there again. Sasuke took that as a sign to move faster and he slowly sped up his thrusting, continuously hitting that spot and making Naruto cry out in ecstasy. Sasuke whispered his name every time he thrust into him, kissing him and wrapping one arm beneath his back to pull him closer.

Naruto began meeting his thrusts and they soon set a pace between them, both of them moaning and crying out at the different sensations. Both boys were panting heavily, sweat slicking their bodies and Sasuke groaned as he watched Naruto writhe beneath him, his eyes closed and mouth open in an “O” as he cried out. “Harder!” Naruto let out a groan, wrapping his legs around Sasuke’s hips, and cried out again as Sasuke struck his prostate again. “Sasuke, please harder.”

Sasuke just grunted and sped up his thrusts, pressing closer to Naruto and rubbing his erection between their bodies roughly. He pulled out until only the head of his member remained inside and snapped his hips forward, making Naruto cry out for more and Sasuke wasn’t in the state of mind to refuse—not that he would anyway. _Nothing_ , not even Shu busting down the door, would make him pause, not now when he finally had Naruto body and soul.

Naruto met every one of his thrusts and let his head loll back in pleasure. “Gods Sasuke, this…faster!”

“You’re so tight Naruto, you feel so good.” He whispered, speeding up his thrusts and ruining their rhythm. “I love you.” He was pushing in as deep as he could, reveling in the silky tightness surrounding him and yet Naruto wasn’t satisfied.

“Deeper Sasuke, please! I love you, ‘suke.” He moaned. “Ugh, I-I’m… _harder_ Sasuke.”

Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s cock and began pumping it with his thrusts, thrusting so hard the headboard was slamming into the wall and Naruto was incoherently crying out at the dual sensations inside and out. Sasuke grunted with each thrust and rubbed his thumb over the tip of Naruto’s weeping cock, smearing the pre-cum around his head.

Another cry from Naruto and he was pushed over the edge, orgasming into Sasuke’s hand and between their stomachs. His muscles clenched around Sasuke’s cock even more than before and Sasuke groaned as he felt his own orgasm flow inside Naruto. Thrusting in a couple more times, Sasuke finally collapsed on top of his new lover in exhaustion. Remembering Kakashi’s warning, he carefully pulled out of Naruto before lying next to him and then wrapped his arms around the smaller man, pulling the blonde’s sweaty back against his chest.

"How do you feel?" He asked, slightly fearing the answer. He didn’t know if he could go back to celibacy after _that._

Naruto turned around his arms, sweaty, exhausted, and flushed, but pleased. "Tired beyond a doubt, but I still love you." He whispered, kissing Sasuke’s lips lightly.

"Then you're okay?"

"Oh, I'll be sore later I'm sure, but I'm not afraid." He smiled, flopping on top of Sasuke, forcing the raven shinobi to his lie on his back. Naruto settled with his knees slightly bent, his arms wrapped around Sasuke's shoulders and his head resting on the alabaster chest, just over Sasuke’s heart. Listening to the rhythmic beating, Naruto felt his eyes slide closed as he snuggled closer, for once not at all bothered by his nakedness.

Sasuke sighed in relief and wrapped his arms around Naruto's back, rubbing the tanned skin gently. "I'm glad."

"Thank you Sasuke."

"For what?"

"For being patient." He whispered, already falling asleep.

He smiled and kissed Naruto's head, hearing the blonde’s breathing already evening out. He gently wrapped a sheet around them both and smiled, a rare event and no one was even around to see it. "It was worth it, love."

* * *

The next day both men slowly left their house, Naruto sore and slightly limping while Sasuke looked quite pleased with himself. He did whisper apologetically to his lover and even offered to carry him, but of course Naruto refused.

"I can walk!" He whined.

"At the pace of a ninety year old man!" Sasuke retorted. He still couldn't believe after three years, they finally made love and Naruto was now his lover, which he thoroughly enjoyed thinking. The blonde was no longer just his boyfriend, he was his lover and all his and Sasuke loved the sound of that.

Naruto scowled, "And whose fault is that?"

"Oh, it was my pleasure Naru- _chan_." He smiled, his lids sliding to half mast as his thoughts went back to that morning’s activities. He hadn’t been certain how Naruto would feel the following morning, but the blonde had woken up with a voracious sexual hunger and Sasuke had been all too willing to help satiate it. Of course, minutes after, his dobe’s physical hunger kicked in and he demanded breakfast in bed since walking had proven to be quite painful.

Kakashi paused with Iruka as the two passed by and called out to them. "Well, it looks like someone got laid." He grinned, making Iruka sputter.

Naruto turned bright red and hid behind Sasuke. "Pervert." He muttered, though his face was hidden in Sasuke's back.

Sasuke smiled happily, "Thanks Kakashi-sensei, for the lessons."

Both Iruka and Naruto turned dark, scowling at their respective lovers. "You took _lessons_ from that pervert?" Naruto yelled.

"You taught him perverted things?" Iruka yelled.

"A-ah…" Kakashi backed up, glancing at Sasuke, "I suggest you run." He said before taking off down the road with Iruka storming angrily after him, yelling threats as he followed.

Sasuke just smirked and called, "I can just walk actually, Naruto can't do anything above a hobble!"

Naruto crossed his arms, "See if you ever get laid again." He mumbled and began his painful walk towards Sakura's. Unfortunately she was dragging both of them to some party she was throwing and though he didn't want to go and instead lay in bed all day and not move, he had to go since she threatened to send him to the hospital if he and Sasuke didn't come. _Of course Sasuke wasn't threatened_ , he thought, _nooo, Sasuke would never be threatened with certain death because he's “Sasuke-kun” and he's perfect!_

Sasuke just smiled and then picked Naruto up carefully, the blonde immediately protesting. "Koibito, you can barely walk and by the time we get to Sakura's house I'll be twenty eight."

"Sasuke!" He cried.

"What's wrong?"

"M-my ass." Naruto whimpered, his neck flushing with embarrassment. "It hurts when I bend."

Sasuke laughed and nuzzled his neck. "I'm sorry Naru- _chan_ , but you were the one who kept telling me to go faster and harder…I was just following your every command."

"Bastard." He muttered, blushing brightly. “Stop calling me Naru-chan.”

"Love you."

"Horny bastard."

"Very true."

Naruto looked up at him, seeing the glint in his eyes and groaned, though a smirk pulled at his lips. "I have a feeling I won't be sleeping tonight."

"Not a wink." Sasuke said, knocking on the door to Sakura and Lee's house. The pink haired girl opened the door and smiled knowingly at the pair before inviting them in. Sasuke nodded a greeting and walked into the dark room. He frowned and turned to Lee when someone hit the lights and their friends jumped out from behind various furniture. 

"Surprise!" They yelled in unison, causing both men to stare in shock at them.

Sasuke finally schooled his features and blandly asked, "What for?"

"For getting laid!" Kiba shouted out and everyone cheered.

Naruto gaped, "How the hell did you find out?" He caught sight of Kakashi and Iruka in the corner, but they couldn't have said anything quick enough to gather everyone here. Naruto looked around the room, trying to figure out who had told their friends, but no one looked guilty or pleasantly pleased, only happy. He even spotted Shin grinning at the two of them and couldn't help but scowl at the man Sasuke had been dating. Even after a year, Sasuke and Shin had become fairly close friends, much to Naruto's annoyance. He couldn't help being jealous of the man who almost stole _his_ Sasuke even if Shin broke up with Sasuke and told Sasuke to go after Naruto and, okay, the guy was really nice, but Naruto just…didn’t like him.

Ino grinned, "Oh, half the neighborhood could hear you two going at it and the other half were informed by Itachi."

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow, seeking the elder Uchiha out. "My _aniki_ called everyone up and announced we finally had sex?"

Itachi nodded, leaning against the wall. "I see it as payback. Our children were up all night asking what that noise coming from your house was."

Naruto turned red and buried his head in Sasuke's chest, but he could feel the Uchiha laughing. He looked up, shock evident on his face. "You _knew?_ "

"I had an idea…" He smirked.

"How the hell did you know?"

"While you were busy sleeping, I went to the main house and overheard Itachi…" He shrugged.

"And you _willingly_ let us come here, _knowing_ what this party was for?” He questioned, watching the arrogant smirk widen. “You’re such a pervert! You are so not getting laid tonight you bastard! Or next week and probably not next month either." Naruto pouted.

Sasuke smiled and leaned closer, "I have a feeling you can't stay away that long." He murmured, his hand suggesting towards his groin and Naruto turned even redder as Sasuke bent down and kissed him. He moved his hand down Naruto's back slightly and the blonde cried out.

"Sasuke! That _hurts!_ " He whined and everyone laughed.

Sasuke blushed that time, "Sorry love," he then grinned, leaning down to kiss him again, "but I can't say I regret it."

"Of course _you_ don't! You're not the one who can't walk!" He complained, pushing Sasuke's face away from his.

"Naru- _chan_ …" He said, almost a whine because Uchihas definitely do not whine.

Naruto crossed his arms and looked away from him, his eyes closed. "Uh-uh, you won't forget if you don't get any for a week or so.” He then shot Sasuke a glare, “And stop calling me Naru-chan!"

"Naruto! I was just joking!"

"Sure you were."

"I love you." He whispered as he slid his arms around Naruto’s waist, affectively turning the blonde towards him.

Naruto harrumphed, trying to resist his raven lover’s draw. "Of course you do, you finally got laid after three years."

"Always." Sasuke added gravely, his eyes trained on Naruto's and he saw those cerulean depths soften.

Naruto sighed, leaning into Sasuke’s embrace, and smiled, "Love you too, koi."

"You're no longer living a lie Naruto." Sasuke kissed him again, so softly that no one watching could mistake the love between them. "And you never will again, I promise."

Owari

Dhampir   
Page 15  
4/12/2005

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SASUKE FINALLY GOT LAID!! WHOOT! 
> 
> Ya'll hung in there for 26 chapters for this, haha! 
> 
> There IS a sequel coming, so the boys will be returning to this world. I've been pulling at the threads of it for the past two months and I believe I finally got it pieced together where I was going with it. It'll probably still be a few months before I can start posting it though, but I'm working on Chapter 11! I just want to make certain I'm getting where I wanted it to be again.


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